January 14, 2016

Oklahoma experienced a 50 percent increase in earthquakes magnitude-3 or greater last year—up from 585 in 2014 to 881 in 2015. Scientists and state officials now agree that many of these earthquakes are caused by the disposal of wastewater from oil and gas operations into deep sedimentary structures.

Consequently, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) has directed more that 27 disposal wells in the Fairview area of western Oklahoma to cease or reduce wastewater injection operations. Fairview has been shaken by magnitude-4.3 and magnitude-4.8 quakes, the strongest the state has seen in years. This reduction is a part of a larger approach by the OCC to decrease wastewater disposal in the entire northwestern Oklahoma region.

Sources: E&E News, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Updated 2/8/2016