From the National Academies of Sciences News:Posted on 06/18/2012 12:44:41 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
From the National Academies of Sciences News:
Hydraulic Fracturing Poses Low Risk for Causing Earthquakes, But Risks Higher for Wastewater Injection Wells
WASHINGTON — June 15th — Hydraulic fracturing has a low risk for inducing earthquakes that can be felt by people, but underground injection of wastewater produced by hydraulic fracturing and other energy technologies has a higher risk of causing such earthquakes, says a new report from the National Research Council. In addition, carbon capture and storage may have the potential for inducing seismic events, because significant volumes of fluids are injected underground over long periods of time. However, insufficient information exists to understand the potential of carbon capture and storage to cause earthquakes, because no large-scale projects are as yet in operation. The committee that wrote the report said continued research will be needed to examine the potential for induced seismicity in large-scale carbon capture and storage projects.
The report examines the potential for energy technologies — including shale gas recovery, carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy production, and conventional oil and gas development — to cause earthquakes. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, extracts natural gas by injecting a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals in short bursts at high pressure into deep underground wells. The process cracks the shale rock formation and allows natural gas to escape and flow up the well, along with some wastewater. The wastewater can be discarded in several ways, including injection underground at a separate site. Carbon capture and storage, also known as carbon capture and sequestration, involves collecting carbon dioxide from power plants, liquefying it, and pumping it at high rates into deep underground geologic formations for permanent disposal. Geothermal energy harnesses natural heat from within the Earth by capturing steam or hot water from underground.
Although induced seismic events associated with these energy technologies have not resulted in loss of life or significant damage in the United States, some effects have been felt by local residents and have raised concern about additional seismic activity and its consequences in areas where energy development is ongoing or planned. While scientists understand the general mechanisms that induce seismic events, they are unable to accurately predict the magnitude or occurrence of these earthquakes due to insufficient information about the natural rock systems and a lack of validated predictive models at specific energy development sites.
The factor most directly correlated with induced earthquakes is the total balance of fluid introduced or removed underground, the committee said. Because oil and gas development, carbon capture and storage, and geothermal energy production each involve net fluid injection or withdrawal, all have at least the potential to induce earthquakes that could be felt by people. However, technologies designed to maintain a balance between the amounts of fluid being injected and withdrawn, such as most geothermal and conventional oil and gas development, appear to produce fewer induced seismic events than technologies that do not maintain fluid balance.
A number of federal and state agencies have regulatory oversight related to different aspects of underground injection activities associated with energy technologies. Responses from these agencies to energy development-related seismic events have been successful, the report says, but interagency cooperation is warranted as the number of earthquakes could increase due to expanding energy development.
The study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are independent, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under an 1863 congressional charter. Panel members, who serve pro bono as volunteers, are chosen by the Academies for each study based on their expertise and experience and must satisfy the Academies’ conflict-of-interest standards. The resulting consensus reports undergo external peer review before completion. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org/studycommitteprocess.pdf. A committee roster follows.
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Pre-publication copies of Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies is available from the National Academies Press
I know there some others interest in this Fraking topic.....but not sure of their handles.
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Ted says:
Quite possible and some luck the first really big CO2 induced shake could be at the Norwegian Carbon capture site. It’s the world’s largest carbon capture lab opens in Norway to fight global warming … This would be poetic justice, as these fools are some of the leading pushers of the Global warming hoax.
Just sayin.
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Jeff L says:
Link to potential induced seismicity in the Denver area. Probably most studied / interesting case of possible induced seismicity :
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/colorado/history.php
US climate envoy calls UN green summit a priority despite Obama no-show
Global Warming's Killer: Critical Thinking
Global Warming on Free Republic
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Doug says:
Here’s a note I got from a geologist in Oklahoma after a quake there: ( Note: These are huge water volumes, far greater than any frac, or 1,000 fracs would involve)
“I heard the rumble that actually did turn out to be the earthquake,but needed ten seconds to figure out which it was. Not a big deal. The newskeeps trying to blame it on fracs.
No, it isn’t a frac, but we did notice that they are pumping mind boggling amounts of water (over 10,000 barrels water per day perwell) in hundreds of wells near epicenter/fault (huge water reinjection sweep of old watered-out field recovering about 2% oil cut). Somebody from the USGS did say that this type of water injection could cause up to a 5 magnitude quake, however, nobody seems to be listening to him. The misinformed public keeps blaming it on fracs”
Does fracking cause quakes? Every time.
Does carbon sequestration by underground storage? Never, can’t happen. Impossible. Are you against clean air? You must be racist and hate puppies.
Maybe they could in Wyoming and the Dakotas.
typo correction ,....the ground is producing wheat.
Right principle, wrong monocot. Wheat is not a perennial grass.
As compensation, allow me to twist the knife by offering the Burning Question of the Day, a latter day haiku, I call:
Doth the torrent swirl of money gushing down the academic toilet
Reverse its direction in the Southern Hemisphere?
Would that it were true!
Looks more to me like getting screwed either way.
CO
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