Oil Drilling Likely Caused Texas Earthquake
Posted by feww on May 17, 2009
Magnitude 3.3 Quake Strikes Northern Texas
Texas quake likely caused by oil and natural gas drilling activities—Moderators, blog contributors
See below for pictorial evidence / record of
1. Location. The proximity of epicenter to fault zones (quaternary fault and fold deformation).
2. Depth.
3. Historic Seismicity.
Earthquake Details
Magnitude: 3.3
Date-Time:
- Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 16:24:06 UTC
- Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 11:24:06 AM at epicenter
Location: 32.796°N, 97.091°W
Depth: 5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program
Region: NORTHERN TEXAS
Distances:
- 6 km (4 miles) S (179°) from Euless, TX
- 7 km (4 miles) SE (141°) from Bedford, TX
- 9 km (6 miles) ESE (118°) from Hurst, TX
- 11 km (7 miles) NNE (16°) from Arlington, TX
- 28 km (18 miles) W (269°) from Dallas, TX
Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 9 km (5.6 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters: NST= 11, Nph= 11, Dmin=44.5 km, Rmss=0.86 sec, Gp= 94°, M-type=”Nuttli” surface wave magnitude (mbLg), Version=6
Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID: us2009gsba
West Texas – Quaternary Fault and Fold Information for Texas. USGS/Cooperator Texas Bureau of Economic Geology
Gulf of Mexico coastal region: Areas of Quaternary deformation and faulting. (USGS). Click here for Gulf-margin normal faults, Texas and adjacent areas.
Texas Earthquake Information
Historic Information
- Earthquake History of Texas
- Quaternary Fault and Fold Information for Texas
- Quaternary Fault and Fold Information for Gulf of Mexico coastal region
Institutions
- Texas Bureau of Economic Geology
- Texas Division of Emergency Management
- University of Texas Institute for Geophysics
Maps
Notable Earthquakes
- Largest Earthquake in Texas: 1931 August 16, Magnitude 5.8
Near Valentine, Texas - Historic Earthquakes in Texas
Recent Earthquakes
- Last Earthquake in Texas
from the NEIC Earthquake Bulletin
Fire Earth 
feww said
Magnitude 5.6 Strikes OKLAHOMA
Date-Time:
– Sunday, November 06, 2011 at 03:53:10 UTC
– Saturday, November 05, 2011 at 10:53:10 PM at epicenter
Location: 35.537°N, 96.747°W
Depth: 5 km (3.1 miles)
Region: OKLAHOMA
Distances:
+ 34 km (21 miles) NNE of Shawnee, Oklahoma
+ 63 km (39 miles) SSE of Stillwater, Oklahoma
+ 68 km (42 miles) ESE of Guthrie, Oklahoma
+ 71 km (44 miles) ENE of OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 10.5 km (6.5 miles); depth +/- 2.8 km (1.7 miles)
Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
The quake was the strongest in Oklahoma history, topping a 5.5 magnitude shock in 1952.
It was felt about 500km away in Kansas City, where it resonated for about 30 seconds, shaking structures and rattling windows.
Probability of a powerful/large earthquake striking Oklahoma is more than 50 percent, as of posting.
Probability of powerful/large earthquakes striking Central US has increased significantly.
See also WARNINGS posted at
– https://feww.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/new-hampshire-declared-disaster-area/
– https://feww.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/massachusetts-declared-disaster-area/
and
– https://feww.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/east-coast-states-of-emergency-declared-in-pre-halloween-snowstorm/
List of recent OK quakes (CERI)
MAG DATE LOCAL-TIME LAT LON DEPTH(km) LOCATION
4.0 2011/11/06 03:39:57 35.506N 96.865W 5.0 11 km ( 7 mi) N of Johnson, OK
3.4 2011/11/06 03:22:04 35.585N 96.823W 5.0 3 km ( 2 mi) S of Sparks, OK
3.2 2011/11/06 01:32:40 35.544N 96.901W 4.9 10 km ( 6 mi) SW of Sparks, OK
3.8 2011/11/06 01:31:10 35.559N 96.874W 5.0 7 km ( 5 mi) SW of Sparks, OK
3.0 2011/11/05 23:54:00 35.540N 96.687W 5.0 14 km ( 9 mi) ESE of Sparks, OK
3.6 2011/11/05 23:03:41 35.554N 96.760W 5.0 8 km ( 5 mi) SE of Sparks, OK
5.6 2011/11/05 22:53:10 35.537N 96.747W 5.0 6 km ( 4 mi) E of Sparks, OK
3.6 2011/11/05 09:36:30 35.584N 96.789W 4.9 4 km ( 2 mi) SE of Sparks, OK
3.4 2011/11/05 08:42:26 35.530N 96.766W 5.0 8 km ( 5 mi) SE of Sparks, OK
3.3 2011/11/05 06:24:15 35.521N 96.778W 5.0 10 km ( 6 mi) SSE of Sparks, OK
3.3 2011/11/05 04:12:11 35.591N 96.788W 4.9 4 km ( 2 mi) ESE of Sparks, OK
2.7 2011/11/05 02:50:42 35.559N 96.762W 4.8 8 km ( 5 mi) SE of Sparks, OK
2.7 2011/11/05 02:44:34 35.488N 96.755W 5.0 12 km ( 7 mi) NE of Johnson, OK
3.4 2011/11/05 02:27:20 35.566N 96.698W 5.0 12 km ( 7 mi) ESE of Sparks, OK
4.7 2011/11/05 02:12:45 35.553N 96.748W 4.0 11 km ( 7 mi) ESE of Sparks, OK
2.6 2011/10/13 16:50:52 36.053N 96.766W 4.9 9 km ( 6 mi) SW of Yale, OK
2.8 2011/09/05 19:19:08 35.615N 96.781W 4.7 4 km ( 2 mi) ENE of Sparks, OK
feww said
Fracking tests near Blackpool ‘likely cause’ of tremors
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-15550458
UK firm admits shale gas work caused tremors
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/02/us-cuadrilla-tremors-idUSTRE7A12SA20111102
marilyn said
“In Basel Switzerland geothermal drilling were shut down permanently after government studies determined that earthquakes generated millions in damages”. “Oxford University researchers found that large earthquakes caused up to four times as many volcanic eruptions”.
feww said
Please support citations with the corresponding URL, where available.
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2256289/tighten-geothermal-drilling
http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_releases_for_journalists/081208.html
feww said
Marilyn
While some earthquakes may be/are caused by excavating, digging and extracting fossil fuels [minerals, precious metals …,] not all earthquakes are caused that way.
Each case should be studied according to its own specifics.
See also
https://feww.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/mining-sets-off-earthquake-in-poland/
marilyn said
Ice land is one of many regional countries that are depleting geothermal fluids for energy causing the land to sink and tilt side ways creating earthquakes and volcanic activity. These episodes will just escalate and intensify as we continue drilling.
marilyn said
In the gulf of Mexico Chevron Corp is drilling for oil as deep as Mount Everest is tall.Mexicali Mexico just had a shuddering 7.2 Earthquake. – Ice land are using the Mantles resources to heat their homes. They are also experiencing earthquakes and Volcanic activities from dormant volcanic Vents.
marilyn said
Off shore drilling beneaths the earths crust are causing earth quakes.
feww said
In general, if you said inordinate amount of human activity is increasing the frequency and intensity of earthquakes, we’d agree.
Texas, Oklahoma, New York and a few other regions in the US are specific cases.
In the case of California quakes, which is probably what prompted you to write, the region is like a lake covered with a thin layer of ice, and frequented by too many full-time skaters.
feww said
Another quake in the region most likely caused by oil and natural gas drilling activities
Magnitude 3.3 – OKLAHOMA
Magnitude: 3.3
Date-Time:
* Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 02:25:59 UTC
* Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 09:25:59 PM at epicenter
Location: 35.745°N, 96.950°W
Depth: 5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program
Region: OKLAHOMA
Distances:
* 7 km (4 miles) NW (306°) from Chandler, OK
* 8 km (5 miles) NE (38°) from Warwick, OK
* 9 km (6 miles) SE (140°) from Carney, OK
* 60 km (38 miles) ENE (61°) from Oklahoma City, OK
* 328 km (204 miles) N (357°) from Dallas, TX
Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 7.6 km (4.7 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters: NST= 15, Nph= 15, Dmin=106.3 km, Rmss=0.82 sec, Gp= 94°,
M-type=”Nuttli” surface wave magnitude (mbLg), Version=Q
Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID: us2009jjae
Magnitude 4.0 quake hits Utah near gas fields « Fire Earth said
[…] Topics – Oil Drilling Likely Caused Texas Earthquake – FEWW Saudi Quake Swarm Forecast 100 pct Correct! – ‘Swine Flu’ Double Psychology – […]
feww said
A Shallow Magnitude 2.8 Hits NORTHERN TEXAS
Earthquake Details
Magnitude: 2.8
Date-Time: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 at 20:06:45 UTC
[Tuesday, June 02, 2009 at 03:06:45 PM at epicenter]
Location: 32.352°N, 97.403°W
Depth: 5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program
Region: NORTHERN TEXAS
Distances:
* 1 km (1 miles) W (273°) from Cleburne, TX
* 8 km (5 miles) WSW (237°) from Keene, TX
* 12 km (7 miles) S (185°) from Joshua, TX
* 44 km (27 miles) S (189°) from Fort Worth, TX
* 76 km (47 miles) SW (229°) from Dallas, TX
Location Uncertainty: Error estimate not available
Parameters NST= 4, Nph= 4, Dmin=294.2 km, Rmss=0 sec, Gp=169°,
M-type=”Nuttli” surface wave magnitude (mbLg), Version=6
Source: Macroseismic location
Event ID: us2009hjb4
pankromatic said
Interesting. My sister and family live near Cleburne but they did not feel it, though many did.
The roads in the area are clogged with service trucks, though the natural gas activity has died down some.
Larry Scott said
[Comment edited. See editorial policy.]
feww said
We try hard to keep ‘Planet X’ stuff out of this and the associated blogs. For basic information on earthquakes see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquakes
For Induced seismicity see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_seismicity
references:
– http://www.internationalrivers.org/en/node/480
– http://internationalrivers.org/de/node/1477
– Top 5 Ways to Cause a Man-Made Earthquake: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/top-5-ways-that/
– Mining Sets Off Earthquake in Germany: https://feww.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/mining-sets-off-earthquake-in-germany/
– Seismicity in Oil Fields: http://www.slb.com/media/services/resources/oilfieldreview/ors00/sum00/p2_17.pdf
[A must read for anyone seriously interested in the subject.]
Virginia said
[Edited. See editorial Policy]
feww said
And you are saying your “father was dumb?”