Federal and state regulators on Monday expanded and modified emergency orders limiting oil and gas activity at wells near a fault line that produced Oklahoma’s strongest earthquake on record.
Regulators are targeting 67 disposal wells in two counties near the damaging 5.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked the state over the Labor Day weekend. In Pawnee County, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission is ordering the energy industry to shut down 32 wells. In nearby Osage County, which is under federal jurisdiction, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ordering the shutdown of 5 wells.
Jeremy Boak with the Oklahoma Geological Survey says shaking could continue along the previously unknown fault line.
"Yeah we’re worried about aftershocks. A really big one is less likely, the odds are relatively small for it, but you can’t rule it out."
Both agencies are ordering companies to reduce the amount of fluid pumped into dozens of wells in both counties. Multiple wells shut down immediately after the Labor Day weekend quake are being allowed to resume operations with volume limits.
Regulators expanding actions on disposal wells after 5.8M #okquake. 67 total: 32 shutdowns. 27 in OK areas, 5 in EPA pic.twitter.com/lTdPoRpFNS
— snow wertz (@joewertz) September 12, 2016
