{"id":25017,"date":"2015-09-10T10:49:42","date_gmt":"2015-09-10T15:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=25017"},"modified":"2015-10-29T14:49:43","modified_gmt":"2015-10-29T19:49:43","slug":"on-the-road-with-the-oil-field-authorities-trying-to-stop-oklahomas-earthquakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2015\/09\/10\/on-the-road-with-the-oil-field-authorities-trying-to-stop-oklahomas-earthquakes\/","title":{"rendered":"On the Road With the Oil-Field Authorities Trying to Stop Oklahoma\u2019s Earthquakes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_25403\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 620px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-25403\" alt=\"Gary Matli, a field inspector supervisor for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, checks on a disposal well located east of Guthrie, Okla.\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2015\/09\/20150907-well-inspection-pics059_WEB.jpg\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2015\/09\/20150907-well-inspection-pics059_WEB.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2015\/09\/20150907-well-inspection-pics059_WEB-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2015\/09\/20150907-well-inspection-pics059_WEB-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2015\/09\/20150907-well-inspection-pics059_WEB-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Joe Wertz \/ StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gary Matli, a field inspector supervisor for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, checks on a disposal well located east of Guthrie, Okla.<\/p>\n<\/div><p>While the research connecting Oklahoma\u2019s <a style=\"font-size: 14px;\" href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/tag\/earthquakes\/\">earthquake surge<\/a> to oil and gas activity is built on algorithms, statistical analysis and computer models of fluid flow and seismic energy, monitoring compliance with regulatory actions designed to stop the shaking relies on muddy, manual fieldwork.<\/p><p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/223238982&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=false\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><!--more--><\/h3>\n<h3>Turn down the volume<\/h3><p>In July, after a widely felt 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck near the town of Crescent, <a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2015\/07\/28\/oil-companies-shut-down-wells-near-earthquake-swarm\/\">oil companies agreed to shut down several disposal wells<\/a>. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the state\u2019s oil and gas regulator, on Aug. 3 <a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2015\/08\/03\/after-spate-of-earthquakes-oklahoma-oil-regulator-slashes-disposal-well-activity-in-shaky-region\/\">imposed strict new limits<\/a> on the volume of drilling waste fluid companies can pump into about two dozen wells, most of which are in Logan, Payne and Oklahoma counties.<\/p><p>The August volume cuts \u2014 which occurred as Gov. Mary Fallin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCoQFjACahUKEwilkd6n4OzHAhVF2CwKHYt6Ah0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstateimpact.npr.org%2Foklahoma%2F2015%2F08%2F13%2Fregulation-accelerates-as-officials-move-from-hesitation-to-direct-correlation-on-oil-linked-earthquakes%2F&usg=AFQjCNFPTdIpVBxcZfgdKwLTRjd1QEmIjg&sig2=6cNhRJv4rXxhMiNS-a2rsg\">publicly acknowledged for the first time <\/a>the industry\u2019s role in the shaking \u2014\u00a0 are the state\u2019s most recent effort designed to stop <a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2015\/05\/05\/stateimpacts-earthquake-research-reading-list\/\">earthquakes linked to the oil and gas industry<\/a>. The idea, says commission spokesman Matt Skinner, is to reduce volumes to below levels recorded in 2012 \u2014 when the shaking started spiking in the area.<\/p><p>\u201cUp until relatively recently, this was the most seismically active area we had in terms of magnitude and number of quakes,\u201d Skinner says, steering his pickup onto a slimy, rutted road east of Guthrie.<\/p>\n<h3>Phases and gauges<\/h3><p>The August orders are staggered, requiring disposal well operators to reduce volumes in three phases over three months. After Oct. 2, regulators hope to have cut the amount of waste fluid pumped into the wells by at least 38 percent. After each deadline, field workers inspect each well manually to make sure oil and gas companies are following the regulator\u2019s instructions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content alignright\">\n<h4 class=\"related-header\">Related<\/h4>\n<div class=\"links\">\n<h5>Posts<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2015\/08\/17\/oil-industry-linked-earthquakes-could-rattle-economy-credit-agency-says\/\">Oil Industry-Linked Earthquakes Could Rattle Economy, Credit Agency Says<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2015\/07\/16\/years-after-earthquake-oklahoma-college-still-shaken-by-cracked-budgets-and-broken-buildings\/\">Years After Earthquake, Oklahoma College Still Shaken by Cracked Budgets and Broken Buildings<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"topics\">\n<h5>Topics<\/h5>\n<p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2013\/01\/disposalTN.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/topic\/earthquakes-2\/\">Exploring the Link Between Earthquakes and Oil and Gas Disposal Wells<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>StateImpact tagged along on a round of inspections on Sept. 8.<\/p><p>Gary Matli, a field inspector supervisor for the commission\u2019s district two field office, visited disposal sites, checked clusters of instruments and verified that the proper amount of fluid was being pumped underground.<\/p><p>\u201cYou pull into a well and check the gauges,\u201d Matli says. \u201cThere usually are three gauges on the well. One on the tubing, one on the casing and one on the surface casing.\u201d<\/p><p>Many of the disposal wells \u2014 including most of the wells operated by big-name oil and gas companies \u2014 can be checked remotely. We encountered one such well, the Harvey disposal well operated by Devon Energy, during the Sept. 8 inspections. Devon voluntarily shut down the Harvey well in July, Skinner says.<\/p><p>\u201cWe can actually do this from the office, but to be perfectly sure and to treat everybody the same way, we put an inspector on site once a week to be sure there\u2019s no sign at all that this disposal well has been used,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23857\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 620px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23857\" alt=\"A Devon Energy disposal well near Stillwater, Okla.\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2015\/05\/0141126-perkins-disposal-wells121_WEB.jpg\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2015\/05\/0141126-perkins-disposal-wells121_WEB.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2015\/05\/0141126-perkins-disposal-wells121_WEB-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2015\/05\/0141126-perkins-disposal-wells121_WEB-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2015\/05\/0141126-perkins-disposal-wells121_WEB-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Devon Energy disposal well near Stillwater, Okla.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Complex geology<\/h3><p>Oklahoma experienced a record number of earthquakes in 2014. This year will likely end up even shakier. Summer isn\u2019t even over and there have already been more 3.0-magnitude or greater earthquakes so far in 2015 than there were in all of 2014.<\/p><p>Scientists say deep, high-volume disposal wells are particularly risky. For months, state regulators have been scrutinizing those operations. But Skinner says some of the earthquake-prone areas in Oklahoma don\u2019t have many disposal wells that fit that profile.<\/p><p>\u201cIt\u2019s not one size fits all,\u201d Skinner says. \u201cIt depends on where you are. This is a very complex state in terms of geology.\u201d<\/p><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QFjAAahUKEwilkd6n4OzHAhVF2CwKHYt6Ah0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2F2015%2F06%2F22%2F416390029%2Freport-oklahoma-quakes-linked-to-oil-and-gas-wastewater&usg=AFQjCNEmvob4SBEe6rxolnR-Eckrgx1PFg&sig2=Y2j5ZzHKktwRXeWKWw_-uQ\">latest research on Oklahoma\u2019s earthquake surge<\/a> suggests the cumulative rate and volume of waste fluid from multiple wells could be responsible for many of the earthquakes. Regulators hope slashing disposal activity will reduce the shaking.<\/p><p>It could take a long time for regulators and researchers to know whether volume cuts and other actions in the Oklahoma oil patch are having any effect on the earthquake boom. But there are some encouraging signs. There hasn\u2019t been a 4.0-magnitude or greater quake in the area since the wells were shut down and the volume cuts were mandated.<\/p><p>\u201cEvery day that goes by without a serious seismic event in this areas is good news,\u201d Skinner says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While the research connecting Oklahoma\u2019s earthquake surge to oil and gas activity is built on algorithms, statistical analysis and computer models of fluid flow and seismic energy, monitoring compliance with regulatory actions designed to stop the shaking relies on muddy, manual fieldwork.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":25403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[490],"tags":[390,288,489,500,238,419],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25017"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25017"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25402,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25017\/revisions\/25402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}