Unconventional oil and gas production provides a rapidly growing energy source; however, high-production states in the United States, such as Oklahoma, face sharply rising numbers of earthquakes. Subsurface pressure data required to unequivocally link earthquakes wastewater injection are rarely accessible. Here we use seismicity hydrogeological models show that fluid migration from high-rate disposal wells Oklahoma is potentially responsible for largest swarm. Earthquake hypocenters occur...

An unprecedented increase in earthquakes the U.S. mid-continent began 2009. Many of these have been documented as induced by wastewater injection. We examine relationship between injection and seismicity using a newly assembled well database for central eastern United States. find that entire earthquake rate is associated with fluid wells. High-rate wells (>300,000 barrels per month) are much more likely to be than lower-rate At scale our study, well's cumulative injected volume, monthly...

Wastewater disposal in the central U.S. is likely responsible for an unprecedented surge earthquake activity. Much of this activity thought to be driven by induced pore pressure changes and slip on pre-stressed faults, which requires a hydraulic connection between faults injection wells. However, direct effects connectivity are questionable earthquakes located at large distances depths from injectors. Here, we examine triggering mechanisms earthquakes, occurred more than 40 km wastewater...

The ability of fluid-generated subsurface stress changes to trigger earthquakes has long been recognized. However, the dramatic rise in rate human-induced past decade created abundant opportunities study induced and triggering processes. This review briefly summarizes early studies but focuses on results from during 10 years related fluid injection petroleum fields. Study these resulted insights into physical processes identified knowledge gaps future research directions. Induced are...

Reinjection of saltwater, co-produced with oil, triggered thousands widely felt and several damaging earthquakes in Oklahoma Kansas. The future seismic hazard remains uncertain. Here, we present a new methodology to forecast the probability induced space time. In our hybrid physical-statistical model, seismicity is driven by rate injection-induced pressure increases at any given location spatial variations number stress state preexisting basement faults affected increase. If current...

Abstract The M w 5.1 Fairview, Oklahoma, earthquake on 13 February 2016 and its associated seismicity produced the largest moment release in central eastern United States since 2011 5.7 Prague, sequence is one of earthquakes potentially linked to wastewater injection. This energetic has five with 4.4 or larger. Almost all these occur Precambrian basement a partially unmapped 14 km long fault. Regional injection into Arbuckle Group increased approximately sevenfold 36 months prior start...

Research Article| October 31, 2018 Managing Basin‐Scale Fluid Budgets to Reduce Injection‐Induced Seismicity from the Recent U.S. Shale Oil Revolution Bridget R. Scanlon; Scanlon aBureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School Geosciences, University Texas at Austin, Pickle Campus, Building 130, 10100 Burnet Road, 78758 U.S.A., bridget.scanlon@beg.utexas.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Matthew B. Weingarten; Weingarten bDepartment Geological Sciences, San Diego...

Abstract We studied the 24 year record of water level responses in Devils Hole, Death Valley National Park, NV, to dynamic crustal stresses from earthquakes. The continuous exhibited 219 earthquakes around world, displaying hydroseismogram and coseismic offset types response. found that Hole is extremely sensitive earthquakes, seismic energy density required initiate both e ~ 10 −6 J/m 3 , 2 orders magnitude smaller than previously documented. Multiple mechanisms at may be responsible for...

Abstract The Raton Basin had the highest number of earthquakes in Colorado and New Mexico from 2008 to 2010. rate both wastewater injection basin increased dramatically starting 1999 2001, respectively. We compare seismicity ( M L 0.0–4.3) 2010 with location modeled pore pressure increases, estimated cumulative volume beginning at onset well present for all 28 wells basin. find that pressures portion (above 0.08 MPa) reached necessary induce (0.01–0.1 MPa). simulate a fault plane, 20 km...

Research Article| June 15, 2016 Rapid Response, Monitoring, and Mitigation of Induced Seismicity near Greeley, Colorado W. L. Yeck; Yeck aNational Earthquake Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey, MS 966, Box 25046, Denver Federal Denver, 80225‐0046 U.S.A.wyeck@usgs.gov Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A. F. Sheehan; Sheehan bDepartment Sciences, University Boulder, 399 UCB, 80309 U.S.A. H. M. Benz; Benz Weingarten; Weingarten cDepartment Geophysics, Stanford...

Abstract Wastewater reinjection increases pore fluid pressure and can make faults frictionally unstable, triggering earthquakes. Little is known, however, about how regional geomechanical properties influence the likelihood that disposal will induce seismicity. We investigate impact of preinjection conditions on proportion possible fault orientations destabilized by a specified increase. Stress state most important factor, with 7 times as many planes unstable in extension than...