February 15, 2016

One month after the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) directed 27 oil and gas wastewater disposal wells to end wastewater injections, a magnitude-5.1 earthquake has shaken Fairview, Oklahoma. The earthquake was the third largest ever recorded in the state, and was felt in neighboring states of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas.

In response, the OCC announced a plan to reduce wastewater injection from 245 disposal wells by 40 percent within a 5281 square-mile area. The reductions will be voluntary, however if companies refuse, the OCC will order mandatory cutbacks. The cutbacks will be introduced in 4 stages over 2 months in order to avoid a sudden pressure change.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has diverted $1.4 million to the OCC and the Oklahoma Geological Survey to address the earthquakes.

Sources: E&E News, Oklahoma Corporation Commission

Updated 3/10/2016