• Home
  • About
  • Publications
  • Links
    • Drilling and Fracking
    • Resources
    • Stuff I Like
    • TX Progressive Alliance
  • Must See Videos
  • PSYOPS
  • Shale Survival
    • Before drilling starts
    • Tools
    • Medical
  • FAQ
  • Contact Me

Texas Sharon's Bluedaze

Fracking News

Geologist Weighs in on Texas Earthquakes

August 18, 2009 By TXsharon

Star-Telegram Letter to the Editor

Quakes explained

As a practicing geologist with more than 30 years of experience, I am confounded by your articles on the earthquakes occurring in Cleburne and the Mid-Cities. A little homework by Chesapeake Energy and the Star-Telegram’s reporter should have uncovered the story of Denver’s sudden earthquake activity from 1962 to 1965. It tells the story of what is happening here.

About 165 million gallons of liquid waste was injected into a nearby disposal well by the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Small earthquakes were the result. Of course, the Army denied any connection. The liquid increased fluid pressure in rocks, thus decreasing friction across fault planes. A histogram of the data shows a direct causal relationship between fluid injection and small fault movement. When injection rates were decreased or stopped, fault movement subsided.

An experiment near an abandoned oil field near Rangely, Colo., suggested similar results.

Chesapeake Energy is prudent in shutting these wells, but it should stop denying the obvious. Even my students at Tarrant County College, where I taught for 10 years, were introduced to these facts.

­Michael Umphress, Hurst

Diagrams drawn by Dale Henry, Petroleum Engineer. (click to enlarge)



About Sharon Wilson

Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.

  • Mail
  • |
  • Web
  • |
  • More Posts(5121)

Filed Under: earthquakes

Comments

  1. Roxy says

    August 19, 2009 at 3:30 am

    TXSharon … you just ROCK!! Thanks for all you do.

    Roxy

sign up

Together we can make the world a frack free place. Sign up to receive my posts in your inbox.

Stalk TXsharon

Recent Posts

  • Oilfield Witness: Who we are and what we do.
  • Inaugural Field Notes from Oilfield Witness are live
  • Sharon Wilson and Miguel Escoto launch “Oilfield Witness,” continue conducting fieldwork in Texas oilfields
  • Oilfield Witness is live as we continue to witness oilfield crimes
  • I’m continuing to expose the dirty secrets of oil and gas.
  • Register for the worldwide premier of Uncovering the Permian Climate Bomb

Like Earthworks on Facebook

Categories

Archives

All work © Sharon Wilson. No works may be shared copied in full without permission. Bluedaze: Drilling Reform. Site Design by Sumy Designs. Powered by those who advocate for a safe and healthy environment.