Earthquakes in Central U.S. ‘Almost Certainly’ Tied To Fracking

NASDAQ ^ | 4/13/12 | Amir Khan

[BigEdLB]

Over the past few years, the number of earthquakes in the usually seismically calm central United States has skyrocketed. Now scientists are pointing the finger at hydraulic fracturing, better known as "fracking," as the culprit.

Fracking is a method of extracting natural gas, the cleanest fossil fuel, from underground rocks. Proponents of natural gas say it could reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil since vast majority of it comes from within the country. Natural gas is also more plentiful and cheaper than oil.

Read more: http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2012-04/earthquakes-in-central-us-almost-certainly-tied-to-fracking.aspx?storyid=133445#ixzz1rvY1bGUP

[BigEdLB]

Obamaworld, and their Evirofacists have found a new way to try and slow energy search and production.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Thank God we won’t have to worry about increasing domestic energy production, the anti-human “scientists” have figured out a way to demagogue it.

[dirtboy]

"Our scientists cite a series of examples for which an uptick in seismic activity is observed in areas where the disposal of wastewater through deep-well injection increased significantly," David Hayes, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, said in a blog post .

Seems to me they are crossing up terms.

[Huebolt]

The EPA is so full of sh*t they squeak. Number 1 on the list to DEFUND, DEFUNCT.

[dirtboy]

And just how strong are all of these earthquakes? And why do we not see them in places such as PA, where fracking is widespread?

And what of the VA earthquake, where no fracking is happening?

This is yet another lame effort to alarm the public against domestic energy development, since AGW has become such a propaganda failure.

[DocRock]

I will gladly pay$200 to fill up my SUV instead of $100 if it will stop these unprecidented 3 and 4 magnitude quakes. /sarc

[Rearden]

Are we drilling for gas and oil along fault lines? While I am certainly not an expert in the field, I have always understood that an earthquake occurs on a fault line when two plates push against one another. Looking for enlightenment.

[capt. norm]

They must have pulled some of their paid-for scientists off the global warming thing and deployed them on the relatively new human-induced earthquake field.

[gimme1ibertee]

OK....now,how about a dissenting opinion?
USGS? Care to weigh in?
I think they know a little more about seismic activity,and what causes it,than someone from the Dept of Interior Motives (DIM).

[LostPassword]

Assuming fracking causes earthquakes, I have a question. Does it only happen on existing faults? Or create new faults? Or just make the earth move in different ways?

If it’s on existing faults this seems like a good way to avoid “the big one”. It may be letting the faults release their energy slowly over time instead letting the tension build up.

[dirtboy]

While I am certainly not an expert in the field, I have always understood that an earthquake occurs on a fault line when two plates push against one another. Looking for enlightenment.

You can have faults just about anywhere. The biggest ones happen to be along plate boundaries, but a good example of a strong fault system not at a plate boundary is New Madrid.

[dfwgator]

Earthquakes in Central U.S. ‘Almost Certainly’ Tied To Fracking,

BULSH!

[UCANSEE2]

Earthquakes are actually being caused by the vibrations from all those giant wind turbines.

[Texas Fossil]

Your observation is credible.

Where I live, the best long term oil production is near apparent fault lines. Short distances either side of the line (not straight) and huge differences in production. Indicating existing faults at some depth. Most of the wells here are 5-6,000 feet deep.

[thackney]

I see most the confusion lies with the posters on these articles.

Hydraulic Fracturing does not cause this nor do they claim it does. Waste Water disposal wells where million and millions of gallons are routinely injected into the same well over and over are being considered the source of the earthquakes.

Hydraulic Fracturing is the source for some, not all, of that water. But there are other choices, some areas are recycling the water. A bit more expensive but it allows hydraulic fracturing to continue without this concern.

[onedoug]

Any USGS data is suspect these days tied as it is to the Administration. Collaboration from several different and disparate sources is warranted.

[Rearden]

I was born and raised in what is now known as the Marcellus Shale belt of PA. The family farm where I grew up is still owned and operated by members my family. We had a couple of gas wells that were drilled ( and fracked) when I was a young boy. I understand that a few more wells have been drilled on the property since I was last there years ago.

Almost every relative I have in the area, and many, many friends who still live there have gas wells on their property. To my memory, all gas wells were, and still are, fracked. I don’t ever remember an earthquake occurring anywhere in the area, and I don’t remember anyone dying because of fracking, and I don’t remember anyone lighting their kitchen sink on fire. I do remember water issues occurring with old, abandoned deep coal mines.

I now live in VA. We have minor tremors and quakes frequently and I don’t know anybody around here who has a gas well, unfortunately.

I’m calling BS here.

[cripplecreek]

Plenty of evidence to support injection induced earthquakes....BUT, no evidence of fracking induced earthquakes.

http://www.nyx.net/~dcypser/induceq/induceq.html

My real problem is with the panic induced over earthquakes that are less damaging than a heavy truck passing on the road.

[boomop1]

Frack away piss off a liberal.

[glennaro]

Spawns a new phrase for those living in active seismic zones: “It’s another fracking earthquake!”

[dirtboy]

Hydraulic Fracturing does not cause this nor do they claim it does.

I figured this was about wastewater disposal injection wells. But the anti-energy folks always want to turn fracking into the boogeyman, hence the title.

And what is the magnitude of most of these quakes? 3 to 4? Compared to the energy produced?

[crusty old prospector]

These aren’t producing wells. They are disposal wells for all the water that flows back from the wells that have been fraced. There are only about several thousand of them scattered across America.

[DeaconRed]

No Way Fracking is causing it.
It's George Bush jumping up and down as ZERO makes one screw up after another. . . . . .
Remember no matter what if it's bad Bush will get blamed.

[drypowder]

Dec. 16, 1811 the New Madrid quake hit and it was quickly determined by President Madison that the multitude of horses being used for human and commerce transportation was not the cause, contrary to reports by the animal rights minded news agencies.

[crusty old prospector]

The most likely cause for any earthquakes from fracing would be from the depletion of the reservoir from the producer that would change the stress field in and around the well. These earthquakes are tied back to salt water injection wells, which are disposing the waste water from the producers. There have been similar earthquakes in the Raton Basin of southeastern Colorado.

[oldbrowser]

OH Oh, Mother earth is mad at us. /s

[TADSLOS]

Total BS. Fracking has been around for decades and is a shallow process comparative to earthquake depths. More Obama generated myth making to force Americans off oil and gas.

[detective]

“Geologists aren't sure exactly how fracking is causing the earthquakes, but say it doesn't take much to trigger one.”

In other words, even in a government of unprecedented political speculation these government employees had no idea whatsoever how fracking could possibly cause an earthquake. These are not scientists doing real research. These are federal government employees following the political direction of the Obama Administration.

[MrB]

Energy is life. Without it, people die.

0bama and his ilk want to deny us the use of energy.

Period.

[petro45acp]

“...some areas are recycling the water. A bit more expensive but it allows hydraulic fracturing to continue without this concern.”

This looks like a job for.....Thermaldepolymerization (TDP)

This process alone can handle everything but radiological contamination. Entire landfills as feedstock can become a source for petroleum. Tire graveyards are a great spot to exploit. Con Agra has one at a butterball plant (handling waste from turkey processing) and if it weren’t for some silly regulations and taxes, would be a great stream of revenue. Waste from grain production can be turned into fuel, water, and minerals.

ruefully

[boomop1]

I like that LOL.

[BuffaloJack]

More JUNK SCIENCE from the propagandists who brought you global warming.

[McGruff]

Dear Amir,

If Fracking causes earthquakes how about all the water we humans extract from wells. Should they be banned also?

Sincerely yours,
McGruff

[MrB]

Oh, but would the libs love to do that!

Let’s see, they’re attempting to deny us energy,
healthcare, food, financial independence...

but denying us WATER would be an even greater control over us.

[jveritas]

Another left wing political lunacy disguised a science. Liberals are the advocates of scientific hoaxes, global warming and earthquake due to fracking…

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Here is some interesting info on strange bedfellows form the April 2012 issue ARKANSAS LIVING magazine, page 34.

CAPITOL BUZZ: A question of Integrity, by Carmie Henry

It seems Chesapeake Gas gave the SIERRA CLUB $25 MILLION DOLLARS to lobby against coal fired power plants!

Now that fracking is a no-no, Chesapeake and the Sierra Club may have split, but the club has NOT given back the 23 million.

http://onlinedigitalpubs.com/publication/?i=105175

Arkansas Living is a publication of the Arkansas Electric co-op corp.

[Dead Corpse]

100% pure bovine scat.

[the invisib1e hand]

World-gone-mad alert.

[OkiMusashi]

Wake me when one of these “scientists” steps up to a podium and explains the “mechanics” of this theory.

[2001convSVT]

You have that right, Total BS. All from the people who want an Earth free of Mankind.

[FrankR]

"Earthquakes in Central U.S. ‘Almost Certainly’ Tied To Fracking"

More "weasel words" from the left; they thrive on words like "could be", "maybe", and "almost certainly".

These were the same words we heard from algore and his lefties when the "global warming" fad started, and continues now with "climate change". Both which has been show to be the biggest farce - other than obama - in history.

Of course they are fighting "fracking" and will fight the production of natural gas as its use picks up momentum as a major energy source. It's NOT the fuel, it's what the fuel provides that is the source of their distain.

Fuel means freedom, prosperity and strength; just some of the things the marxist left wants to control, and prohibit the rest of us from having.

The left throws out these "words", hardly ever with any real data to prove it, and the press goes into wallow mode and has simultaneous orgasms at the very thought of helping the marxist left achieve their goals. What does it say about our media when we have to read foreign newspapers to get the truth...even Pravda gives us more facts than the American media in many cases.

If someone came up with a capsule you could drop into water and make it become gasoline, the left would demogogue it.

America is - in reality - the enviromentally cleanest nation in the world, and the most diversive and tolerant. Nothing the obamaclowns say will ever convince me otherwise. If his followers - the handout crowd - want to writhe around in their own squaller, then let them, but I learned at a very early age to help those who help themselves. Those ablebodied who sit on the sidelines with their hands out, and don't help pull the wagon should be left on the wayside to fend on their own.

The only real earthquake to hit America in the last five years is obama...and his policies have shaken it badly, but is far from destroying it.

[the invisib1e hand]

Sneezing causes orbital skew in the planets, too. Cuz I say so. And for a mere 50 bucks, I’ll sell you the cure.

[thackney]

if it weren’t for some silly regulations and taxes, would be a great stream of revenue.

If it wasn't for regulations and taxes, we wouldn't be considering a replacement for cheap oil and gas.

[Reeses]

In mountains the number of small harmless snow avalanches is greatly increased by sonic fracking as well, which reduces the number of large killer avalanches. A leftist would ban making loud sounds so that nature can have killer avalanches.

[Lazamataz]

This one actually might be real. I know, I know, liberals suck, and global warming is crap -- but in Russia they managed to show a one-for-one association between fracking and earthquakes in places where there were normally NO earthquakes.

Liberals might have accidently stumbled on the truth, for once.

[ICE-FLYER]

This is about as valid as global warming.

[CPT Clay]

It used to be that “earthquakes” of magnitude 3.9 and lower were not reported. Methinks those who thrive in a world of shortages have an agenda.

[Gay State Conservative]

The New Madrid fault is in Missouri,isn't it? Or somewhere *near* Missouri at least.I've read that New Madrid is one of the most dangerous earthquake faults in the country.I wonder what's happened,earthquake-wise,in the central US over the last 50...100....500 years.They say that earthquake zones can lay dormant for years and even centuries.

And yet Maoist "scientists" are sure that fracking is the cause.Typical.

[CPT Clay]

It is not the drilling or fracking that is allegedly causing the quakes, it is believed to be the injection of the waste water after fracking.

[thackney]

but in Russia they managed to show a one-for-one association between fracking and earthquakes

Any additional info would be appreciated.