November 6, 2013
Wei Gan, senior research scientists for the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) found that the injection of carbon dioxide into the ground to extract petrol and natural gas is a contributing factor to a series of recent earthquakes near Snyder, Texas.
In 2012, geophysicists from Stanford University discovered that the process of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) would cause earth quakes and would not be a viable long-term solution to extracting petrol and natural gas.
Gan’s study states that “underground injection of large volume gas caused earthquakes in Snyder . . . [and] also highlights the point that in other fields, the same rate of injection did not trigger any comparable quakes, reinforcing the idea that underground gas injection does not trigger seismic events in different geological settings.”
The gas fields called the Cogdell and Salt Creek, with the help of the Scurry Area Canon Reef Operators Committee (SACROC), have produced petrol since 1950.
Use of carbon in the 1970s with a process called co2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) was increased in 2001; and again in 2004.
Seismic data from 2009 – 2010 was provided by the EarthScope USArray program (ESUSA) which showed that 93 earthquakes had been recorded in the Cogdell region.
The average magnitude of earthquake was 3 on the Richter scale.
Other fields near the Cogdell area “have experienced similar CO2 flooding without triggering earthquakes.”
It is assumed that “different fields respond differently to CO2 injection and it’s a fact that no other gas injection sites have been associated with earthquakes of magnitude greater than 3 despite the Stanford researchers’ concern.”
Writers for the study state: “One possible explanation for the different response to gas injection in the three fields might be that there are geological faults in the Cogdell area that are primed and ready to move when pressures from large volumes of gas reduce friction on these faults. The other two fields might not have such faults.”
There is no consensus on a theory for why earthquakes occur in some places that have been subject to CCS and not others.
Wayne Pennington, interim dean of the College of Engineering at Michigan Technological University (MTU) said : “The bottom line here is, as Gan suspected, carbon dioxide injection under high enough pressures and with high enough volume could induce seismicity just like any other fluid at high enough pressures and with high enough volume. We see (quakes) fairly often with water injection. We know that that can often trigger seismic events and sometimes those can be quite large. So, it isn’t really a surprise that carbon dioxide injection does the same thing. Now the element of mystery is gone.”
Interestingly, in 2012, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a statement alerting residents that on October 18th at 10:18 am (EST), on the Southeast coast of America, there would be an earthquake drill wherein 1 million residents over 5 states would be participating.
States such as Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia will collaborate with “schools, businesses, organizations, government agencies, communities, and households” as well as “many other local, state, federal and volunteer partners.”
All across the US, participation will include:
• Washington State
• The Southeast Region
• British Columbia
FEMA explained that “it is vitally important for people to have a plan and know what to do during an earthquake.”
They suggest that citizens use the “Drop, Cover and Hold On” approach which consists of dropping to the ground, taking cover under a desk or table, and holding on to the furniture until the quake stops.
Called the Great ShakeOut, this drill is directed toward residential homes, schools and organization to “improve preparedness and practice how to be safe during earthquakes.”
FEMA cites the strange “earthquake” that occurred in Mineral, Virginia as the reason for the drill.
In August of 2011, mainstream media reported that an earthquake could be felt from Colorado to Washington, D.C. The tremors resulting from a 5.8 magnitude “earthquake” caused “buildings from the Capitol to the White House” to be evacuated, although “there were no immediate reports of damage.”