Updated because the frac quakes go on & on & on: Oklahoma again orders oil & gas drillers to reduce amount of frac waste water injected. Why? The natural gas leak & home explosion in Oklahoma City? Where will the frac waste go?

Oklahoma Oil Firm Resists Call to Shut Down Wells Amid Earthquake Concerns by Erin Ailworth, January 5, 2016, Wall Street Journal
A financially strapped Oklahoma oil company is defying the state regulator’s request that it shut down six wells used to dispose of wastewater, despite fears they may be contributing to earthquakes. Sandridge Energy Inc., which has complied with similar requests in the past, said this time it won’t stop using its wastewater disposal wells, which are part of the company’s oil-and-gas fracking operations. [Emphasis added]

Hilarious (and brilliant) comment to the article below:

David Kirkham ·
Works at Screenwriter
It’s because of the rising lake levels, which in part was due to a light that refracted off of Venus and hit a gas line. *sarcasm*

Edmond Officials Explain Power Failure During Recent Earthquakes by Dana Hertneky, January 5, 2016, News9

EDMOND, Oklahoma – Last week’s Edmond earthquakes not only damaged homes, but they also knocked out power to thousands of residents. According to a City of Edmond spokesperson, both earthquakes knocked out power to 4,400 Edmond Electric customers, all connected to the substation on Danforth.

When last week’s earthquakes hit John Sharum’s Edmond home it rattled crystals off his hallway chandelier, broke a couple wine glasses and knocked out his power.

“My first thought was there was still some ice on the lines, it shook the lines and they broke,” said Sharum.

As it turns out, the earthquake actually shook things up at the nearby substation.

“It appeared that maybe relays touched together due to vibrations and that caused the circuits to shut down,” explained Casey Moore, the Public Information Officer for the City of Edmond. “No damage or anything, basically the system working the way it should.”

Both times power was out for about an hour while crews checked things out.

“Crews will go out, go through certain protocol, check everything that needs to be checked, check for damage and then once they’re comfortable with everything then they’ll go ahead and re-energize,” explained Moore.

Moore says the city is looking into equipment upgrades for a long-term solution as well investigating any potential “quicker fixes” until a more permanent change can be made. [Is the frac industry going to pay for these “upgrades?”]

“Is there anything different we can do? Or do we just move forward with what we have? I think all those things are being evaluated.”

Fortunately, Moore says the earthquakes didn’t cause any damage to the substation either time. [Emphasis added]

Edmond Utility Officials Looking For Solutions To Outages Caused By Quakes by Dana Hertneky, January 5, 2016, News9

EDMOND, Oklahoma – Officials are looking into what caused the Edmond power outages after the two recent earthquakes.

The outages affected about 4,000 customers and were tied to one substation on Danforth Rd. in particular. Officials with Edmond Electric believe the quake may have caused two relays to hit together, which in turn caused the outages. [Emphasis added]

‘Confusing’ Letters Cause Homeowners To Think They Have Earthquake Insurance by Dana Hertneky, January 5, 2016, News9

EDMOND, Oklahoma – There has been more confusion over earthquake insurance after some Oklahomans are getting letters from their insurance companies which mention earthquake coverage that many don’t actually have.

The problem here is if you get the letter, you might think you have earthquake insurance when you really don’t. All this stems from a requirement by the Oklahoma Insurance Commission asking insurers to notify their customers if they cover so called “manmade” earthquakes.

Some insurers sent the letter out to all their customers, regardless of if they have earthquake insurance or not. But if you don’t read it carefully, it appears you are covered for earthquakes.

One such letter reads “if you have opted to purchase earthquake coverage.”

John Sharum even got one from his car insurance.

“What’s funny, I got a letter from Geico, even though we don’t have our house insurance with Geico, we got auto insurance with them, and they said they don’t cover anything that could possibly be manmade,” Sharum told News 9.

Just a warning here, if you got a letter read it carefully. And if you are unsure if you have earthquake insurance, call your agent. [Emphasis added]

***

Tweets
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2h
Magnitude 3.3 at 2016-01-04 03:45:04.104000 (CST) 8.1 miles NNE of Coyle; 36.071,-97.203,z=11.6km
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Magnitude 2.9 at 2016-01-04 06:38:45.161000 (CST) 8.4 miles NNE of Coyle; 36.075,-97.198,z=8.3km
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Magnitude 3.4 at 2016-01-04 06:43:02.515000 (CST) 8.3 miles NNE of Coyle; 36.073,-97.201,z=9.1km
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Magnitude 2.9 at 2016-01-04 18:50:07.014000 (CST) 4.8 miles N of Nash; 36.736,-98.060,z=5.6km
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Magnitude 2.9 at 2016-01-04 11:16:57.750000 (CST) 8.3 miles NNE of Coyle; 36.075,-97.205,z=7.9km

***

ONG Issues Claims Number For Those Affected By NW OKC Home Explosion by Jessica Holley, January 4, 2016, News9

OKLAHOMA CITY – The investigation into what caused Saturday morning’s fiery explosion is still ongoing. Oklahoma Natural Gas isn’t saying much other than its cooperating with investigators.

But an Oklahoma City man raced to help the injured that morning and was one of the first on the scene. He captured the fire, minutes after the explosion.

The man who shot the video said all he intended to do that morning was help anyone in need by using his military first responder training. But what his video captured was the blaze firefighters battled to save the homeowner.

“That whole house exploded on to the houses next to it. I mean there is no structure there right now,” said Steven Brown in the video.

Like many other neighbors, the sound of the explosion jolted Brown from his bed.

“I am pretty familiar with explosion. I’d been to Iraq several times,” he said.

Brown, a trained military first responder, raced to the scene of the explosion on Whispering Hollow Drive.

2016 01 05 Snap Whispering Hollow Dr site of home explosion, massive damages to homes, Okalhoma City, very near Edmond

[Note how close the natural gas leak and home explosion is to Edmond, where the 4.3 M frac quake caused damages]

“Honestly I wasn’t expecting a house explosion. I thought maybe plane crash or something. I thought it was big so that’s why I went,” Brown said. “I didn’t go there originally to film anything and when I got there I didn’t start filming right off the bat. But once I’d seen the damage to just one structure and mostly everyone was OK and firefighters pretty much had it under control, I pulled out the camera just to share the story.”

Aerials from Bob Mills SkyNews 9 HD in the daylight showed the extent of the damage at Whispering Hollow Drive. Shingles still hung from trees and wood from homes were splintered and thrown like toothpicks in yards.

 

2016 01 04 Oklahoma City, Whispering Hallows Home Explosion

Click image to access video

“It looked like a classic explosion. Looked like a bomb had been dropped on it,” Brown said.

With debris now strewn throughout the street, it’s hard to believe the man living inside the home escaped with second- and third-degree burns.

“That surprises me more than anything. I mean the concussive blast went two mile and did severe damage to house all around it. How he survived is absolutely beyond me,” Brown said.

In the statement ONG released Monday night, the company said it will file its findings from the investigation to state and federal agencies by February 1.

The ONG claims hotline number for anybody affected by the NW 122nd and Rockwell house explosion is 1 (877) 620-4193. [Emphasis added]

Drilling-Crazy Oklahoma Has Its 12th Earthquake In Less Than A Week, The state has become a quake capital of the world by Associated Press, January 4, 2016, Huffington Post.com

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The state commission that regulates Oklahoma’s oil and natural gas industry ordered some injection well operators to reduce wastewater disposal volumes on Monday….

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission said it was implementing a plan that affects five wastewater injection wells operating within 10 miles of the center of earthquake activity near Edmond, a northeast suburb of Oklahoma City. … Oklahoma’s energy regulator declared in November that the state now has more earthquakes than anywhere else in the world, which scientists have linked to wastewater injections, a long-used method to dispose of the chemical-laced byproduct of oil and gas production.

A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey traced wastewater injection methods to the 1920s in Oklahoma and tied the rise in quakes in the past 100 years to industrial activities, such as oil and natural gas production. About 1.5 billion barrels of wastewater was disposed underground in Oklahoma last year, according to statistics released by the governor’s office.

“We are working with researchers on the entire area of the state involved in the latest seismic activity to plot out where we should go from here,” [How to let the frac’ers keep frac’ing?] Oil and Gas Conservation Division Director Tim Baker said, adding that responding to the swarm of earthquakes in the region was an ongoing process.

The response plan announced Monday calls for one well located 3.5 miles from the center of earthquake activity near Edmond to reduce disposal volumes by 50 percent and four wells by 25 percent. Other wells within 15 miles of the activity will conduct reservoir pressure testing.

The commission said the operator of the well closest to the earthquake activity, Pedestal Oil Company Inc., has agreed to suspend operations entirely to assist the agency’s research effort. The operator of another well, Devon Energy Production Co., has also agreed to suspend operations, and no objections have been raised by operators of the other wells. [What do they know that they’re not telling the public?]

A comment

Chris Kapeghian ·
Vestal, New York

Can’t wait for the Big Oil scientists to report that it’s all just God’s way of shaking hands with the Oil Industry

Residents In NW OKC Neighborhood Want Answers After Gas Explosion by Karl Torp, January 4, 2016, News9

OKLAHOMA CITY – Neighbors in NW OKC whose homes were destroyed after an explosion early Saturday morning are desperate for answers.

They want to know what sparked the massive blast that send three people to the hospital including one man with 2nd and 3rd degree burns.

“They were trapped in bed,” said Michael Boyd about his grandparents who live right next door to the home that exploded.

Wayne and Winnie Boyd went to the hospital after having difficulty breathing and both are expected to be OK.

“It’s a miracle no one was killed,” said Boyd as he walked News 9 cameras through his grandparents’ damaged home.

Drywall and insulation have fallen from the attic, kitchen appliances are blown more than a dozen feet from the wall and roof rafters are snapped from the blast. The home is a total loss.

In a neighborhood with dozens of homes affected from the explosion, it’s the damage you don’t see that still hurts.

“Falling asleep is probably the hardest thing for us right now,” said Gabrielle Marks, who lives across the street from the home that exploded.

Neighbors called in a possible gas leak Friday night and ONG had crews in the area, inspecting at the time of the blast Saturday, around 3 a.m. But two days after the homes were destroyed, people are frustrated to have no answers of what sparked the blast.

“It’s absolutely maddening. Someone should be held responsible,” said Boyd.

ONG says it’s investigating and has no timetable on when it might be able to figure out what happened. The company released the following statement regarding the incident late Monday evening:

“The status of the investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing and we continue to cooperate with the Oklahoma City Fire Department, Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

The timetable for filing a report on the results of the investigation with federal and state agencies is February 1, 2016.

Natural gas service has been interrupted, affecting five residential customers. As service becomes available, crews will be made available to turn service back on. Customers will need to be at home in order to have their service restored.

We continue to actively work with those residents unable to return to their homes to secure temporary accommodations and other means of assistance.

As a reminder, if you smell natural gas in your area, leave immediately and call 911 or Oklahoma Natural Gas 1-800-458-4251.” [Emphasis added]

State Regulators Announce Response To Recent Edmond Earthquakes by Alex Cameron, January 4, 2016, News9

State regulators announced restrictions on more disposal wells Monday, in response to the 4-plus magnitude earthquakes that rattled homes and nerves in Edmond last week.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission released a directive which calls for volume reductions of 25 to 50 percent at five disposal wells that are located within three to ten miles of the epicenter of a 4.3 magnitude earthquake in northeast Edmond on Dec. 29.

The quake, which hit at 5:39 a.m., was responsible for minor to moderate damage at several homes.

The USGS reported a 4.2 magnitude earthquake three days later, Jan. 1, in nearly the same location and at almost exactly the same time.

Under the OCC’s current protocol, any disposal wells within 0 to 3 miles of a magnitude 4 or greater earthquake would be requested to shut down. No wells met that criterion with regard to this latest quake.

Under previous directives, which the OCC began issuing last July, nearly two dozen disposal wells have been called on to cease operations. The directives, however, are not mandatory, and one operator, SandRidge Energy, has chosen not to comply.

Two OCC directives in late November requested SandRidge shut in six disposal wells that are in close proximity to the epicenters of 4-plus magnitude earthquakes that shook northern Oklahoma around Thanksgiving.

SandRidge, through a spokesman, has said that it continues “to work closely with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission” and that “We look forward to addressing this issue through OCC’s established rules and procedures, which will ensure decisions are based on scientific analysis.” [Like blaming a lake to ensure high risk fracing continues full-quake ahead? SEE MORE ON THIS COMPANY IN ORANGE BELOW, DECEMBER 21, 2015]

The Corporation Commission is preparing a case in an effort to force SandRidge to cease operation of the six wells. An OCC spokesman has acknowledged, however, they are hampered by the fact that the state currently does not have a seismologist on staff. [Emphasis added]

MUST WATCH! 24 MIN CLIP BY AL JAZEERA

Matt Skinner, Oklahoma Corporation Commission – “When we call up OGS (Oklahoma Geological Survey), and they can’t get their computers to come up, that’s a problem.”

Austin Holland, Oklahoma Geological Survey – “Last year we recorded, or were actually able to locate more than 5000 earthquakes and we probably had another 10,000 that our systems have identified, that we didn’t have a chance to look at.”

Reporter – “… In August, Austin Holland resigned as head seismologist at the Oklahoma Geological Survey, we were with him on his last day. … Holland leaves behind a state in which the earthquake rate continues to rise. Not long after he announced his departure, his colleague, Amber Lee Darold, did the same. Now Oklahoma, the most seismically active state in the continental US, is left without a state seismologist.”

Rapidly Rising Water Level At Arcadia Lake May Have Triggered Edmond Earthquake by Dana Hertneky, January 4, 2016, News9

EDMOND, Oklahoma – The Oklahoma Corporation Commission took action Monday in regards to those recent Edmond earthquakes. The commission directed the operators of five disposal wells within 10 miles of the epicenter to reduce volume.

But a seismologist with the USGS said it may not have been disposal wells that triggered the last week’s earthquakes in Edmond. USGS seismologist Dan McNamara thinks the rapidly rising water at Arcadia Lake, the result of Winter Storm Goliath may have triggered the 4.3-magnitude earthquake. The water rose two feet on the lake the day before that first 4.3-magnitude earthquake. [If the lake’s to blame, why didn’t the state order it drained instead of frac waste injection reduced?]

Ed Woods is a retired petroleum engineer. He lives in east Edmond, just a couple miles from the epicenter of the recent big earthquakes. “It was the most severe one that we had felt since we had been here,” he said.

Woods has been looking into the earthquakes for the past year. Since he knew Arcadia Lake was close by, he looked up the lake levels and noticed they rose rapidly right before the first earthquake. Woods did some calculating, and figured about 4.5 million tons of additional weight was added to the fault block right before the first earthquake.

“It’s another thing that needs to be considered, particularly since they are having trouble finding any active injection wells in this area,” Woods said.

McNamara thinks Woods may be on to something. “Just based on our preliminary modeling, the distance from the fault and the time delay, it works out fairly well. This could be a possible cause,” he said.

McNamara said the Arbuckle formation underneath Oklahoma is already saturated, likely from disposal wells.

Any additional stress, such as a sudden lake level increase, can push a nearby fault to failure. In this case the earthquake reactivated a fault capable of producing an earthquake as big as a 6.0-magnitude and it runs right through a populated area.

“If you do get another large event like a 5.6 (magnitude) it would significantly more of a disaster in Oklahoma City than it was in Prague because more people are exposed,” McNamara said.

But McNamara said humans can help control what happens by avoiding any waste water injection near the fault and minimizing any rapid changes in the lake level.

McNamara also said in light of this recent news, he advises residents in Oklahoma City to study up on earthquake precautions and strap down computer monitors, televisions, and book shelves in preparation for more quakes. [Emphasis added]

8 Comments

Blake Bowers · West Plains, Missouri
It appears no one is reading the news article. Disposal wells are listed as a contributor, even saturating the ground so the rise in water now causes an issue. That is why it has not happened before. READING IS FUNDAMENTAL

… Christina Little · Seminole state college seminole okla
If this can knock out power to over 4000 homes and effects homes as far away as Shawnee and other cities how could one lake possibly do that? And if a much larger EQ hits and possibly causing severe damage or even deaths will you still continue your Fracking? Will your homes be damaged as well and is your families living in this area of concern? This is a warning sign that these oil companies continue to ignore. Why? They don’t care because money comes first to them before any form of life
Steve Anneler · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
I seem to remember several companies back in the sevenites and 80’s getting fined for illegal dumping of frack fluid… And I really like this statement from the above article.. “But McNamara said humans can help control what happens by avoiding any waste water injection near the fault and minimizing any rapid changes in the lake level”. So you humans take care and don’t be letting any rapid changes take place in Arcadia’s lake water level. What ever that means! Sounds like Smoke Screens. One more thing to add is, since Arcadia has been built, there have been several times the lake has risen faster and a heck of a lot higher than now.. As a matter of fact, I believe they have shut the parks down because of it and, no EQ’s then.

… Richard Orgill · Operations Manager at Dept of Defense Civilian
All Oil Companies should completely pull out of Oklahoma.

… Lynn Maggio · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Ah, no. I have lived by that lake and when we had MASSIVE flooding, the likes of which we haven’t seen since, we did NOT have an earthquake. This is a direct result of the injections wells.

… Alan Cordeiro · Edmond, Oklahoma
Derek MacHaggis Sarcasm noted, however Lynn has a good point. The flooding might have contributed to the earthquakes in Edmond happening when they did, but without the waste water injection we would not be having the massive increase in earthquakes that we have seen since 2011.

Lynn Maggio · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Alan Cordeiro I moved to Oklahoma in June of 1994. Mom lived right at the edge of Lake Arcadia there on 150th Street. I’m familiar with the flooding that goes on and I’m telling you, the little flooding we have had here recently can’t even begin to compare to the flooding we had back then. I have never seen it flood like that since. We never had any earthquakes out there and I moved from that location in 2005. So the injection wells must have damaged the fault line.

Nick Hail · The University of Oklahoma
Lynn Maggio Derek MacHaggis accurate much?

… Alan Cordeiro · Edmond, Oklahoma
Nick Hail I don’t know if you are a seismologist, but I doubt it. For one thing, you didn’t spell it correctly. Also, you have no rational explanation for why the earthquakes have increased more than 100-fold since 2011. There is no natural explanation for that. Lake Arcadia has flooded many times, and it never caused significant earthquakes in the past. Now, we are having significant earthquakes every few days. That’s not tilting at windmills. You are blowing smoke.

David Kirkham · Works at Screenwriter
Lol! That’s the new excuse huh?

Fracker 1: guys we really need these wells open. We got to think of something or we will be shut down.

Fracker 2: we can just open more as we shut down others. The money train don’t stop. Choo-Choo.

Fracker 1: this is no time for games. Think guys.

Fracker 4: I got it! We tell the media the water did it in Lake Arcadia. The residents of this city will be quick to believe that.

*Fracker group all rub their hands together mischievously*

Leonard Janousek · Completion Engineer at Dialog Wireline Services, LLC
I agree the inter crust of the earth is gone to hell due to all the fracking and waist water injection wells. Hang On The Big One Is Coming and then only then they will shut them down.

… David Kirkham · Works at Screenwriter
Nick Hail I looked that up earlier and between 1885 and 1969 the amount of earthquakes we had read like the obituaries. Yet in the past two years we’ve had 540+ (2014) and over 900 in 2015. Oh, mere coincidence right? You better do your research, instead of throwing out the blond insults you call a retort, because even the government you probably support here have said fracking was the issue and these are man made quakes. only now are they trying to backpedal by using the lame excuse that a lake’s water level is causing it. Guess they forgot the quakes that happened near wells, which aren’t near lakes, or are lakes magically forming everywhere in our city/state?

Earthquake Recorded Near Stillwater by News9, January 4, 2016
Posted: Jan 04, 2016 11:05 PM MST Updated: Jan 04, 2016 11:05 PM MST

A 3.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Stillwater late Monday night.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter was located eight miles southwest of Stillwater and 17 miles northeast of Guthrie. No injuries or damage were immediately reported. [Emphasis added]

Excellent video at link: Oklahoma averaging nearly three earthquakes per day by Mark Strassman, January 4, 2016, CBS News

Most geologists connect the increase with fracking.

“The state has ordered oil and gas drillers today to reduce the amount of waste water they inject into the ground during a process known as fracking.” …

Geologist Todd Halihan: “These are pretty startling when you feel them. And there’s now a lot of people experiencing them on a broad scale.”

2016 01 04 more than 900 3M or higher quakes in Oklahoma in 2015

***

[Do damaging quakes damage natural gas lines?

How much of industry’s gas is migrating into basements and groundwater in the urban communities getting rattled by frac quakes?

How many homes will explode without mercaptan odor fore-warning? “Natural gas” leaking from industry wells and frac’d/quaked caprock has no odor unless it’s sour with H2S.]

Classes At Wellston Public Schools Canceled Tuesday byNews9, January 04, 2016

WELLSTON, Oklahoma – Classes have been canceled for a second day in a row at Wellston Public Schools, school officials said. The high school varsity game will be held in Yale at 6:30 p.m.

A city water pipe burst [frac quake damage related?] and has caused low water pressure in town. Because of this, the district decided to cancel school on Tuesday.

Wellston, OK google map

Classes Canceled Monday At Wellston Public Schools by News9, January 3, 2015

WELLSTON, Oklahoma – Classes and after-school activities have been canceled for Monday at Wellston Public Schools, the superintendent said. A city water pipe burst and has caused low water pressure in town. Because of this, the district decided to cancel school on Monday, Wellston Public Schools superintendent Dwayne Danker said. [Emphasis added]

Cleanup Underway After NW OKC Home Explosion by Christie Lewis, January 3, 2016, News9

OKLAHOMA CITY – A few residents remained Sunday in the area of Whispering Hollow Drive as they gathered belongings from their now unlivable homes.

… The explosion, heard and felt miles away, leveled a home and damaged dozens of others.

… Kevin King’s mother has lived across the street for years. Sunday was her first time returning to the scene. “She’s doing OK. She’s holding up,” King said. He first felt the impact at his home out in Piedmont. “A few minutes after that, my mother had called my cellphone and so I knew something was wrong. So, we came and got her,” he explained.

Her home has extensive damage from the force of the blast. The ceilings were caved in. The roof and doors shifted. Windows were broken along with almost everything else inside.

“We still have a long way to go. It’s going to be months in the process,” King told News 9. “Just from being here yesterday to today, we can see the dent that everyone has made.”

Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) crews appeared to be digging Sunday behind the immediate area where the home that exploded originally stood. But according to ONG’s spokeswoman, there were no updates Sunday on the findings of their investigation.

At last check, fire officials said the man inside the home at the time of the explosion was at Integris Baptist Medical Center with first- and second-degree burns to his face and chest. [Emphasis added]

Residents Secure Homes After Explosion, ONG Investigation Continues by Christy Lewis, January 2, 2016, news9

OKLAHOMA CITY – Neighbors in northwest Oklahoma City spent Saturday afternoon securing their homes by boarding up their windows, and still trying to wrap their minds around what happened overnight.

“In 12 hours, we have survived an explosion and moved out of our house,” said Gabrielle Marks, who lives across the street and was jolted from her sleep by the explosion.

Marks and dozens of people were forced from their homes because of the destruction. And it could be a long road ahead before things get better.

“Many of these homes are going to be uninhabitable for quite some time,” said Kent Edwards, public insurance adjuster.

Edwards is an insurance loss consultant with Claim Help Public Adjusting Group. He was on the scene Saturday, he said, to offer help to the people now facing a tremendous loss.

“They’re going to be asked to be making the biggest decisions of their life at probably the worst possible moment in their life,” he told News 9.

Edwards said if these homeowners have even a basic fire policy, their coverage would almost certainly include fire, lightning and explosion.

As residents and onlookers continued to survey damage along the street, investigators with Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) said they are still trying to figure out exactly what happened.

Several neighbors reported a natural gas smell in the area, and said ONG crews were there just before the incident.

ONG could not confirm that Saturday afternoon, but News 9 did learn crew members capped an apparent leak almost immediately after the explosion.

“We just want everyone to know that our thoughts go out to this entire neighborhood and everyone affected and we will do our best to accommodate them in whatever way we can, as far as hotels or whatever they might need,” ONG spokeswoman Cherokee Ballard said.

The investigation is still underway, Ballard said.

There were no confirmed details Saturday regarding the reason crews were called to the area overnight before it happened or the cause of the explosion. [Emphasis added]

House Explodes, Forces Evacuations In NW OKC by News9, January 2, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY – An explosion near 122nd and Rockwell has destroyed at least one home, and someone was inside the house at the time. The Oklahoma City Fire Department said just after 3:15 a.m., they responded to a reported explosion at 12409 Whispering Hollow Drive. “We’ve had reports when this came in that people felt it more than two miles away. So it was a significant explosion,” OCFD Chief Benny Fulkerson said Saturday morning.

Authorities say an ONG crew was working on a gas meter when it caught fire. [Refer below. What really happened?] Crew members were about to evacuate the homeowner when the house exploded. The home has been completely destroyed. The homeowner told first responders he was blown out of bed. He suffered injuries and burns, and has been transported to a local hospital. Two others in the area were also transported to the hospital for breathing problems. No word yet on their condition.

OKCFD evacuated eight homes with a total of 24 people. “We searched many of the houses in the immediate area to make sure everybody was ok,” Fulkerson said. “Everybody was and everybody was accounted for.”

Two homes adjacent to the original explosion have extensive damage. And numerous homes in the area have soffit hanging, holes in the portions of the exterior, and garage doors pushed in. Vehicles in the street are reported to have glass damage. “I got some windows busted out. The doors look like they’ve been kicked in, garage door,” Neighbor Michael Palmer said. “Everything that was in the attic above the garage is now on the garage floor.”

Palmer lives across the street from the now destroyed house. He said it wasn’t the blast that woke him, but his pictures being knocked off the walls. Palmer said he rushed to what was left of a broken window and saw his neighbor’s house burning.

Neighbors claimed they smelled gas on Friday [January 1, 2016] and ONG crews had been checking for the source. News 9 reached out to ONG but had not received a response to back up those claims. [Emphasis added. Will these neighours be gagged and settled?]

Three Earthquakes Rattle Central Oklahom by News9, January 2, 2016

A 3.2 magnitude earthquake struck at approximately at 7:46 a.m. Its epicenter was located nine miles west of Perry, 24 miles east, southeast of Enid, 27 miles north of Guthrie, and 55 miles north Oklahoma City. It was about a mile deep.

Then, just before 2:30 p.m., a 3.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded. Its epicenter was located eight miles south, southeast of Guthrie, nine miles northeast of Edmond, 21 miles north Midwest City, and 21 miles north, northeast of Oklahoma City. It was about five and a half miles deep.

A 3.3 magnitude earthquake struck at approximately 3:04 p.m. Its epicenter was located nine miles west of Perry, 23 miles east, southeast of Enid, 25 miles west, northwest of Stillwater, 27 miles north Guthrie, and 55 miles north Oklahoma City. It was about two and half miles deep.

No damages or injuries associated with any of the earthquakes have been reported. [Emphasis added]

Small Earthquake Recorded In Noble County by News9, January 2, 2016

A small earthquake shook up residents near Perry, Oklahoma Saturday morning. The 3.2 magnitude earthquake struck at approximately at 7:46 a.m. Its epicenter was located nine miles west of Perry, 24 miles east, southeast of Enid, 27 miles north of Guthrie, and 55 miles north Oklahoma City. It was under a mile deep. No damages or injuries associated with this earthquake have been reported. [Emphasis added]

Another Strong Earthquake Shakes Oklahoma, Edmond Residents Concerned After Another Strong Earthquake by News9, January 01, 2016

EDMOND, Oklahoma – “Help. It’s kind of what all of us are saying is ‘help,’”

David Ruhl said sitting in the dining room of his Edmond home. He and his family moved to Edmond nearly a decade ago thinking they’d found a piece of paradise. “When we moved here nine years ago, I mean, this was heaven,” he said.

Born and raised Oklahoma, Ruhl knows how harsh Mother Nature can be, but when the earthquakes started four years ago, the most recent ones damaging his house, it turned into a very different kind of threat.

“It’s more unnerving,” Ruhl said as he was pointing out some fresh cracks in the ceiling in the bedroom. “You can’t go back to sleep after something like that hits your house.”

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake topped out at a magnitude of 4.4, but was then revised to a 4.2 after hitting just before 5:40 Friday morning just north of Edmond. It was the second within a week to top a 4.0 magnitude.

At 2:28 p.m., another 3.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded two miles southwest of Guthrie, and 13 miles north of Edmond.

The quakes aren’t just getting stronger either but closer, according to some seismologists who believe the quakes may have reactivated a new fault that, once activated, can produce more powerful earthquakes.

“They have been shown to produce up to Mag. 5.6 and in a few studies we have done at the USGS, we have shown that some of these faults could host earthquakes as big as Mag 6,” USGS seismologist in Colorado, Dan McNamara said on Wednesday.

That kind of seismic activity can mean much more damage and a higher risk to residents, both are things that Ruhl says may force him to move and leave his slice of heaven.

“What are you going to do sit here and say ok I’m going to stay here until the whole thing falls down and then I’ll move.”

And he’s not alone in his frustration. Kathy Matthews says she’s going after state officials, even the governor, for answers and action to fight what she calls was the real problem; money from Big Oil and Energy. She said she plans to call for swifter and harsher action once lawmakers return to session.

“What we’re saying is there’s a greater impact on the economy when you have hundreds of millions of dollars of damage worth of real estate that’s being damaged by that industry and at some point the public interest of the taxpayer and electorate have to supersede those of the oil companies,” she said.

Matthews said there was an ongoing effort to ignore the science showing the cause of the earthquakes was linked to wastewater disposal wells was a “hide the ball game” run by state officials, academia and oil executives.

She said she understands the state’s funding is tightly tied to the energy industry. In fact, nearly 25 percent of all state tax revenue is linked to energy production in Oklahoma. Matthews and Ruhl say they don’t have all the answers but what they’re asking is simple.

The Oklahoma corporation commission said Friday it hadn’t identified any wastewater injection wells as the cause of these most recent earthquakes however; the commission has shut down numerous wells across the state based on seismic research. The OCC said it hasn’t taken any action yet, but they said they’ll have that by Jan. 4. [Meanwhile, the damages and risks to the public continue? Emphasis added]

Oklahoma earthquakes spur calls for fracking regulations by Calgary News Talk 770 (CHQR), January 01, 2016

A 4.2 magnitude earthquake hit north of Oklahoma City this morning. It’s the latest in a series of quakes that have prompted state regulators to call for more restrictions on oil and gas operators.

Friday’s tremor hit just after 5:30 AM local time. There are no reports of damage or injuries.

Since oil and gas companies began fracking in the state, the number of magnitude 3.0 or greater earthquakes has gone from a few dozen in 2012 to more than 800 last year. [Emphasis added]

Oil Production Fuels Earthquake Surge In Oklahoma by editor, January 1, 2016, NPR
Transcript

CORNISH: With the way things have been going in Oklahoma, this didn’t come as a surprise. The state opened 2016 with a 4.2-magnitude earthquake this morning. There have been at least a dozen earthquakes in the state just since Tuesday. Now, for all of 2015, Oklahoma saw more than 800 earthquakes at magnitude 3.0 or greater. This is not the way it used to be. Regulators and researchers say the rise in quakes is due to oil and gas production that involves re-injecting vast amounts of salty water into the earth. To talk more, we turn to Todd Halihan. He’s a professor in the School of Geology at Oklahoma State. Welcome to the program, Todd.

TODD HALIHAN: Thanks.

CORNISH: So what can you tell us about today’s quake? I understand it happened about 15 miles outside of Oklahoma City.

HALIHAN: Right, so we’ve had a lot of seismicity that’s happened out in rural areas, and the folks in the rural areas don’t appreciate it very much. But we’ve had a couple recently right underneath Edmond, which is one of our very populated areas with a lot of people sitting on top of it. So it’s made a lot of press lately.

CORNISH: We mentioned earlier about the quakes being connected to oil and gas production. Obviously, people have heard about fracking. Can you help us understand how this works? What’s causing the quakes?

HALIHAN: So when you’re producing oil and gas, you’re actually pumping a water well, and you happen to get some oil and gas out of it. And so in some formations, you get mostly oil, which is a great thing to do. In ours, you’re getting about 10 gallons of water per gallon of oil. And then you have this leftover salty water that you can’t do much with. It’s much saltier than ocean water, and so the only choice that they found was we could put it down to depth and dispose of it. That process, for a very long time, has worked very, very effectively. But in the modern day with higher volumes and higher rates, it’s caused seismicity. For us, that’s not been something we’ve had to deal with previously until a few years ago.

CORNISH: So what steps has the state taken to try and counter this pattern? What are they asking the companies to do differently?

HALIHAN: So when they design an injection well, it’s designed to protect the fresh water up above and keep it from coming into the surface or coming into groundwater where people are drinking. When you design for seismicity, you want to design to protect the well from the water going down below where you’re injecting. And so they’ve done a lot of changes to the wells to try to prevent water from getting down into the – what we call the granitic basement and finding faults down there that it can lubricate and move. And so that change from protecting the upper part of the well to changing the lower part of the well – they put out some mandates saying, we’d like you to modify your wells in these ways if you’re in the seismically active areas.

… CORNISH: Todd Halihan is a professor in the School of Geology at Oklahoma State. Thank you so much for speaking with us. [Emphasis added]

3.2 Magnitude Earthquake Recorded Near Alva  by Xin Xin Lui, News9, December 31, 2015

ALVA, Oklahoma – A 3.2 magnitude earthquake rattled near Alva, Oklahoma, Thursday morning.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this earthquake was recorded at 5:35 a.m. Its epicenter was located 13 miles south, southwest of Alva, and 38 miles east, northeast of Woodward. It was about six miles deep. 

No injuries or damage were immediately reported. [Emphasis added]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2015 12 31 Earth quakes in Oklahoma

USGS Seismologist Says Edmond Earthquake Reactivated Fault by Dana Hertneky, December 30, 2015, News9

EDMOND, Oklahoma – The earth continued to shake Wednesday in Edmond with another aftershock to Tuesday morning’s 4.3-magnitude earthquake.

But a USGS seismologist now says more big earthquakes, magnitude 4.0 or even much larger in the same area are likely.

Dan McNamara said Tuesday’s earthquake reactivated a new fault that runs from the Midwest Boulevard and Covell area toward downtown Oklahoma City.

Things started shaking at Covell Wine and Liquor around 5:40 a.m. Tuesday with that magnitude 4.3 earthquake and has been rattling nerves ever since.

“I was here all day and I felt the aftershocks,” said owner Stephanie Sanders. “The whole building would shake and you could hear them rattling and it was nerve racking for sure.”

But this may not be the end of it.

“When we see these magnitude 4’s we get concerned that additional earthquakes could occur,” McNamara said.

McNamara said in the past, once a fault is activated in Oklahoma it can produce multiple magnitude 4.0 earthquakes or larger. Larger, because of the type of fault that runs through Oklahoma, called a strike slip fault.

“They have been shown to produce up to Mag. 5.6 and in a few studies we have done at the USGS, we have shown that some of these faults could host earthquakes as big as Mag 6,” said McNamara.

That’s especially concerning in this case since the fault runs right though a highly populated area.

Staff at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission are working to take action on the Edmond earthquake.

In the past, the OCC had limited capacity on surrounding disposal wells.

McNamara said that seems to have worked and he believes it could in this case as well.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see another 4 but if they do limit disposal it will probably just stay at that level,” he said.

That would be welcome news for the Sanders and her husband who were fortunate this time.

“I just worry that there will be a bigger one that will cause a lot of damage,” she said.

There have been five aftershocks following Tuesday’s earthquake including a 3.0-magnitude Wednesday afternoon. [Emphasis added]

Comments:

Ruth Napier
Thats surprising no disposal wells close by. to cause these quakes

Melanie Leggett Jenkins
Sometimes it really is just Mother Nature that causes them.

Desi Hill ·
University of Central Oklahoma
This was not Mother Nature.

Terry Bryan
Desi Hill if it wasn’t natural then what is the cause, in your expert opinion?

Micah Wilson
Terry Bryan here are disposal wells in that location. Industry is just claiming that they are not high pressure disposal wells.

Edmond Continues To Be Jolted By Aftershocks by Matthew Nuttle, December 30, 2015, News9

EDMOND, Oklahoma – Small tremors are keeping Edmond residents on edge, after a 4.3 magnitude earthquake rumbled through the area, causing damage and power outages on Tuesday.

2015 12 30 Edmon quake locations, USGS

Tuesday’s early-morning quake was followed by several three-point aftershocks all Tuesday afternoon and evening. And it seems the shaking is continuing into Wednesday. The latest temblor was recorded at approximately 12:13 p.m., four miles east northeast of Edmond at a depth of just under four miles. There have been no reports of damage or injuries since the four-pointer on Tuesday.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), earthquakes with magnitudes from 2.5 to 3 are generally the smallest ones felt by humans. Damage is more likely with quakes at magnitudes of 4.0 and higher. [Emphasis added]

Edmond Residents Dealing With Damage After 4.3 Earthquake by Aaron Brilbeck, December 29, 2015, News9

EDMOND, Oklahoma – Several damage reports have been made following Tuesday morning’s magnitude 4.3 earthquake in Edmond.

For Dawne Sullivan, it was a rough way to wake up. “It was scary. It was a jolt.” Sullivan said. “It was almost like an explosion.” 

The sound she is talking about was the sound of her chimney being ripped from the wall and falling to her lawn. Sullivan says her family woke up to the house shaking. They went downstairs and heard a strange cracking sound.

“We thought it was sleeting outside,” Sullivan recalled. “My husband looked outside and said it’s not sleeting.”

The sound they were hearing was the window cracking. Outside, the family found what was left of the crumbled chimney lying on the ground.

A few miles away, Donna Miller of Edmond was looking at the huge crack left in her fireplace by the quake.

“The main crack is right here,” she said pointing to the damage. “Then we’ve got that big one right there.”

The Millers also felt the shaking and heard the crash of their bathroom mirror.

“It used to be a mirror,” Miller joked. “After the earthquake this morning and after the aftershock it just fell off the wall. It seems like it was probably mounted correctly but…”

But not well enough. Still, Miller says she’s not worried about seven years of bad luck.

“The way I think about it, I didn’t do it, so this is not my bad luck. So I should be good,” she said. [Emphasis added]

2016 01 03 map Edmond and Oklahoma City

2016 01 04 map Oklahoma City, Perry, Edmond, Tulsa

Excellent clip at link: OK Residents Should Check Earthquake Insurance Coverage by Dana Hartneky, December 29, 2015, News9
Posted: Dec 29, 2015 4:46 PM MST Updated: Dec 29, 2015 4:46 PM MST

EDMOND, Oklahoma – Homeowners in Edmond had some significant damage from Tuesday’s 4.3-magnitude earthquake.

The big earthquake comes as insurers in Oklahoma are asked to clarify what earthquake insurance covers and what it doesn’t.

The cause of the quakes has been the issue as some insurers have refused to pay damage claims saying the earthquakes were “man-made” caused by the oil and gas industry and not an act of nature.

Tuesday morning’s earthquake toppled a chimney, shattered windows and even rattled Russell Westbrook.

2015 12 29 Edmond earthquake from frac waste injection, shattered windows

“Hell ya, man, I felt the earthquake,” the Thunder star said. “I thought I was dreaming but I wasn’t. I definitely felt the earthquake.”

The quake also triggered several calls to Dennis Chaumont’s insurance agency.

“Every time we have a rumble, phone traffic picks up. People drop by the office making sure they have it,” Chaumont said.

Chaumont said they have paid several earthquake claims throughout the years and have some currently pending.

“We don’t stipulate if it’s man made, whether it’s natural causes, if it’s earthquake, if it’s assessed as earthquake damage we’re going to pay the claim,” he said.

But that’s not the case with all insurers. Insurance commissioner John Doak said out of approximately 100 claims made in 2014, insurance companies only paid eight.

So Doak issued a bulletin asking insurers to notify customers if they will cover so called “man-made” earthquakes. “We’re asking insurance companies to be upfront, let policy holders know what they are covered for,” Doak said. [If the insurance companies don’t because the quakes were/are caused by fracking, will the oil and gas companies pay up?]

Doak also recommends customers contact your insurance agent and make sure you have the coverage you want and need. The first thing you should ask is if you are even covered earthquake insurance is separate from a standard policy. Then, you need to decide if you want to pay the premium, which are generally pretty low. But in Oklahoma, most deductibles are high: 2, 5 or 10 percent so an insurance claim will only cover a huge loss.

2015 12 29 Edmond earthquake from frac waste injection, home damages, crumbling wall

2015 12 29 Edmond earthquake from frac waste injection, home damages, crumbling wall, chimney

2015 12 29 Edmond earthquake from frac waste injection, home damages, chimney quaked off

“The deductible is like $50,000.00.”

[Are the frac’ing companies  that caused the damage going to pay the deductibles?]

“It’s meant to minimize a major financial catastrophe for the homeowner but also provide the coverage to masses of people,” Doak said. The insurance commissioner said if you have questions about your policy or if you are having trouble getting your insurance agent to pay your claim you can contact his office. [Emphasis added]

Large Earthquake Causes Damage In Edmond Area, 4.3 Magnitude Earthquake Causes Damage, Power Outage by News9, December 29, 2015

EDMOND, Oklahoma – The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 4.3 magnitude earthquake centered near Edmond, Oklahoma. This earthquake was recorded at 5:39 a.m. Tuesday, four miles east, northeast of Edmond, and 13 miles south of Guthrie. It was about four miles deep.

The quake was followed by a 3.4 magnitude aftershock, centered in the same area.

Many residents near the epicenter reported property damage.

2015 12 29 Edmond frac waste injection quake, home damages, power outages

Photo Courtesy: Renee Short Painter

The city of Edmond said about 4,400 customers lost power immediately following the earthquake.

Meteorologist Lacey Swope and News 9 anchors Bobbie Miller and Stan Miller felt the earthquake live on air during News 9 This Morning.

The earthquake could also been seen on our live radar when it hit. Meteorologist Lacey Swope said it was likely birds taking flight.

At 3:40 p.m., another 3.2 aftershock was recorded three miles northeast of Edmond at a depth of just over four miles.

At 4:17 p.m., a 3.0 magnitude earthquake struck two miles west northwest of Langston, at a depth of three miles. [Emphasis added]

Small Earthquakes Rattle Oklahoma County by Leighanne Manwarren, December 27, 2015, News9

OKLAHOMA COUNTY, Oklahoma – Two earthquakes were reported Sunday in Oklahoma County, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The first earthquake happened at 6:36 p.m. It was a 3.2-magnitude quake. Its epicenter was about four miles southwest of Arcadia, six miles east, southeast of Edmond and 13 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. The earthquake was less than two miles deep.

A 3.5-magnitude earthquake happened at 9:59 p.m. Its epicenter was about four miles northeast of Edmond, 12 miles south of Guthrie and 16 miles north, northeast of Oklahoma City. The earthquake was about three miles deep.

No immediate reports of injury or damage were reported. [Emphasis added]

Small Earthquake Shakes Near Edmond by News9, December 26, 2015

EDMOND, Oklahoma – A small earthquake was recorded near Edmond, Oklahoma Saturday afternoon. The 3.0 magnitude earthquake shook up residents around 1:41 p.m. Its epicenter was located four miles east, southeast of Edmond, ten miles northwest of Choctaw, and 11 miles north, northeast of OKC, Midwest City, and Del City. It was about three miles deep. No injuries or damages associated with the quake have been reported. [Emphasis added]

Two Small Earthquakes Shake Near Guthrie by Matthew Nuttle, December 24, 2015, News9

GUTHRIE, Oklahoma – A pair of small earthquakes rattled residents in quick succession near Guthrie, Thursday morning.

The first quake was recorded at 9:13 a.m. The 2.9 magnitude temblor struck two miles south southwest of Guthrie at a depth of three miles. Then, at 9:14 a.m., a 3.2 magnitude earthquake rumbled three miles southwest of Guthrie at a depth of nearly four miles.

No damage or injuries have been reported with either earthquake. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.5 to 3.0 are generally the smallest ones felt by humans. Damage is more likely with earthquakes at magnitudes of 4.0 and higher. [Emphasis added]

A comment to the article below:

Charles Woods · Works at Self employed
Its probably the fracking instead of the injection wells they were fracking in the area of the last quakes when they happened Dec 21, 2015 9:24pm

OK Corporation Commission To Take On SandRidge Energy by Alex Cameron, December 21, 2015, News9
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the state regulatory agency that is trying to minimize earthquakes by restricting the underground disposal of drilling wastewater, has been forced to take legal steps to get an Oklahoma company to comply with its latest directives. [It’s that the kind of “regulator” you want permitting oil and gas in your neighbourhood?!]

Matt Skinner, a spokesman for OCC, confirms “attorneys are preparing court action (in the OCC courts) to have the permits for the wells in question changed to what is in the OCC plan.”

There are six wells “in question” and all belong to Oklahoma City-based SandRidge Energy.

On Dec. 3, OCC issued the latest in a string of directives intended to cut down on earthquakes by calling on operators of disposal wells in areas experiencing seismicity to either reduce their injection volumes or shut in the wells temporarily, depending on their proximity to the quakes.

OCC’s plan, according to the Dec. 3 news release, came in response to a series of strong quakes near Medford and Byron in north, central Oklahoma. It called for operators to reduce volumes 25 to 50 percent at dozens of wells and shut down operations at seven wells, six of them belonging to SandRidge. Shut-in was to take place by Dec. 9.

But, according to published reports, OCC oil and gas division regulators determined that SandRidge was continuing to dispose of wastewater in those wells after the deadline. 

SandRidge Energy is struggling financially and operates heavily along the Oklahoma-Kansas border in the Mississippi Lime shale play. Many of the state’s most powerful earthquakes in the last six months have been in this area. …

OCC’s directives are voluntary, not mandatory, but affected producers have, so far, been cooperative, although there have been some questions raised as to the Corporation Commission’s authority to impose restrictions related to seismicity concerns.

The pending legal action, the case OCC is now preparing to force SandRidge into compliance by amending their permits, could be the first real test of that authority. [If the directives are voluntary, what court is going to side with the “regulator?” Emphasis added]

3.3 Magnitude Earthquake Recorded Near Perry by News9, December 17, 2015

PERRY, Oklahoma – A 3.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Perry, Oklahoma, Thursday morning. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this earthquake was recorded at 9:56 a.m. Its epicenter was located 15 miles west, southwest of Perry, and 21 miles southeast of Enid. It was about two miles deep. No injuries or damage were immediately reported. [Emphasis added]

Insurance companies refuse coverage for man-made earthquakes in Oklahoma by Lynn Casey, December 15, 2015, Fox23

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. —

Quick facts:

Some insurance companies said they will not offer coverage for man-made earthquakes.

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak said those denied claims for this reason can file a complaint with his office.

Other insurance companies said they will cover all earthquake damage.

Oklahoma insurance companies are now letting people know what their policies cover after a number of earthquakes in the Sooner State.

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak asked insurance companies in October to let their customers know what their policies cover.

People have begun to receive letters from their insurance companies, and now some have even more questions.

FOX23 Lynn Casey talked to customers whose insurance companies stopped coverage for certain earthquakes

Companies like GEICO are refusing coverage for any damage caused by man-made earthquakes, such as those caused by injection or fracking.

Customers said they wonder how it can affect their coverage during the debate over the earthquakes’ causes.

Other companies like State Farm said they will cover all earthquake damage, regardless of cause, but customers are required to buy endorsements to their homeowner’s policies.

In Tulsa, it costs around $30 a year for a $100,000 house. The deductible is between 2 percent and 5 percent.

Doak said that if someone is denied a claim because a company said the earthquake was man-made, he or she can challenge that by filing a complaint with his office.

His office offers free mediation to anyone who cannot afford to take an insurance company to court. [Emphasis added]

READ A LETTER FROM GEICO

Earthquake Rattles Near Perry by News9, December 10, 2015

PERRY, Oklahoma – A 3.4 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Perry, Oklahoma Thursday evening. It struck at approximately 5:21 p.m. Its epicenter was located just four miles west, southwest of Perry, 19 miles west, southwest of Stillwater, and 26 miles north of Guthrie. It was about two and a half miles deep. No injuries or damages associated with this earthquake have been reported. [Emphasis added]

Earthquakes Reported In Northern Oklahoma by Leighanne Manwarren, December 7, 2015, News9

GRANT COUNTY, Oklahoma – Three earthquakes were reported Monday evening in Grant County in northern Oklahoma, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The first earthquake was a 4.0-magnitude earthquake at 6:08 p.m. Monday. Its epicenter was about eight miles north, northwest of Medford, 36 miles north of Enid and 101 miles north of Oklahoma City. The earthquake was less than two miles deep.

The second earthquake was a 3.2-magnitude at 6:25 p.m. Monday. Its epicenter was about eight miles north of Medford, 37 miles north of Enid and 101 miles north of Oklahoma City. The earthquake was about two and a half miles deep.

The third earthquake was 3.1-magnitude at 8:04 p.m. Monday. Its epicenter was about nine miles north, northwest of Medford, 37 miles north of Enid and 102 miles north of Oklahoma City. It was more than three miles deep. No immediate reports of damage or injuries were reported. [Emphasis added]

Earthquakes Rattle Grant County by News9, November 25, 2015

GRANT COUNTY, Oklahoma – Two earthquakes were recorded near Medford, Oklahoma Wednesday evening.

A 3.2 magnitude earthquake struck at approximately 6:32 p.m. Its epicenter was located eight miles north, northwest of Medford, 35 miles north of Enid, and 42 miles west, northwest of Ponca City. It was under a mile deep.

Then just before 7:00 p.m., a 3.5 magnitude earthquake struck. Its epicenter was located in the same area as the first earthquake. It was about two miles deep.

There are no reported injuries or damages. [Emphasis added]

More Earthquakes Rattle Oklahoma Overnight by Xin Xin Liu, November 20, 2015, News9

CHEROKEE, Oklahoma – More earthquakes were recorded overnight in Oklahoma, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

At 11:59 p.m. Thursday, a 2.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded nine miles south of Medford, and 19 miles north, northeast of Enid. It was about two miles deep.

At 12:12 a.m. Friday, a 3.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded nine miles southwest of Cherokee, and 35 miles west, northwest of Enid. It was about five miles deep.

At 2:06 a.m., a 3.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded 17 miles north, northwest of Fairview, and 40 miles west, northwest of Enid. It was about three miles deep.

At 5:22 a.m., a 3.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded eight miles southwest of Cherokee, and 35 miles west, northwest of Enid. It was about three miles deep.

At 6:07 a.m., a 2.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded nine miles south, southwest of Cherokee, and 35 miles west, northwest of Enid. It was about two miles deep.

At this time, no injuries or damage were immediately reported. [Emphasis added]

Two More Earthquakes Recorded Wednesday Morning In Oklahoma by News9, November 11, 2015

CHEROKEE, Oklahoma – Two more earthquakes were recorded Wednesday morning in Oklahoma, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A 3.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 4:38 a.m. Its epicenter was located seven miles southeast of Cherokee, and 27 miles northwest of Enid. It was about three miles deep.

At 8:54 a.m., another 3.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded four miles northeast of Edmond, and 11 miles south of Guthrie. It was also about three miles deep.

No injuries or damage were immediately reported following these earthquakes. [Emphasis added]

Multiple Earthquakes Recorded In Oklahoma Tuesday Morning by News9, November 10, 2015

CHEROKEE, Oklahoma – Multiple earthquakes were recorded Tuesday morning in Oklahoma, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The first one, a 3.2 magnitude, was recorded at 2:23 a.m. Its epicenter was located 15 miles east of Cherokee and 24 miles north, northwest of Enid. It was about a mile deep.

The second one, a 3.0 magnitude, was recorded at 7:11 a.m. Its epicenter was located 17 miles northwest of Fairview, and 37 miles east of Woodward. It was about three miles deep.

At 7:36 a.m., a 3.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded two miles west, northwest of Cushing, and 15 miles east, southeast of Stillwater. It was about three miles deep.

At 8:02 a.m., another 3.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded nine miles north, northwest of Medford and 36 miles north of Enid. It was about three miles deep as well.

No injuries or damage were immediately reported following these earthquakes. [Emphasis added]

Expert Says Oklahoma Earthquakes Easing Over Last 3 Months by Associated Press, October 30, 2015, News9

OKLAHOMA CITY – While the number of earthquakes is continuing to skyrocket, the new director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey says there has been a modest decline over the last three months.

Jeremy Boak was one of several experts who testified Friday about the increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma before a joint House and Senate committee. The rise in earthquakes has been linked to disposal wells where wastewater from oil and gas production is injected deep underground.

Boak says the average number of earthquakes of magnitude 2.8 or higher recorded in Oklahoma has dropped from five per day to 3.5 per day over the last 90 days. 

Still, Boak says data suggests there is a 42 percent chance of a 5.5-magnitude quake occurring in Oklahoma within the next four years. [Emphasis added]

[Refer also to:

2015 12 16: BC Regulator: 4.6 quake in August 2015 triggered by fracking largest on record, OGC finds while Geological Survey of Canada experts get their frack quake harm facts mixed up

2015 10 01: Since frac’ing, earthquakes now frequent near Fort St. John; Why is OGC lying about drinking water contamination caused by hydraulic fracturing?

2015 09 18: Alberta frack operation near Devon shattered home window; No wonder Edmonton-area residents are protesting fracing near their homes

2015 09 17 Henry Neumann edmonton-alberta-what-the-frack-shattered home window

2015 08 18: NE BC: 4.5 Magnitude frac quake, felt from Pink Mountain to Fort St. John (180 km), ‘likely’ caused by Progress Energy, OGC confirms

2015 08 10: Fox Creek: Yet another earthquake in AER’s deregulated blanket approval frac experiment. Fracking-Related Earthquakes Could Ding Credit Quality

2015 07 21: Special Report by Andrew Nikiforuk: Fracking Industry Has Changed Earthquake Patterns in Northeast BC

2015 06 30: Oil companies can be sued by earthquake victim in 7-0 Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling, Oklahoma has been hit by a dramatic spike in earthquakes in last 5 years

2015 06 25: Memo to AER and oil/gas/frac companies: “Honesty isn’t just the best policy, it’s (now) the law, Canada’s Supreme Court rules with respect to contract performance”

2015 04 15: Dutch Court Suspends Gas Production on earthquake fears; Pennsylvania Insurance Dept Issues Quake Notice: Fracking Exclusion Not Allowed, “Endorsements that attach to homeowners insurance policies in this Commonwealth should cover all earthquakes, whether believed to be ‘naturally occurring’ or caused by ‘human activity’”

2015 04 13: Weather Underground, The arrival of man-made earthquakes

William Ellsworth, a research geologist at the United States Geological Survey, told me, “We can say with virtual certainty that the increased seismicity in Oklahoma has to do with recent changes in the way that oil and gas are being produced.” Many of the larger earthquakes are caused by disposal wells, where the billions of barrels of brackish water brought up by drilling for oil and gas are pumped back into the ground. (Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking—in which chemically treated water is injected into the earth to fracture rocks in order to access oil and gas reserves—causes smaller earthquakes, almost always less than 3.0.) Disposal wells trigger earthquakes when they are dug too deep, near or into basement rock, or when the wells impinge on a fault line. Ellsworth said, “Scientifically, it’s really quite clear.” [Emphasis added]

2015 03 03: Oklahoma Insurance commissioner clarifies “man-made” earthquake policies: 92% of earthquake claims denied by insurers

2015 03 27: Maryland Senate Passes Bill, 93-45, To Declare Fracking An “ultrahazardous and abnormally dangerous activity”

2015 03 03: Eight Industry Leaders to Present at Catastrophe Response Unit Seminar for “all insurance claims management, adjusters and industry personnel” includes feature presentation: “Fracking Induced Earthquakes”

2015 02 05: After whopping 4.1 earthquake, Oklahoma regulators were finally fracking fed up, ordered injection well shut down; In Alberta, after 4.4 global frac quake record and aftershocks, it’s “No Duty of Care” frac as usual, harms be damned

2015 03 19 Global News clip on Fox Creek frac induced quakes and AER's experimental ineffective stop light, too late for mitigation, system

2015 02 02: Fracking Quakes Pose Added Risks but Oil and Gas Companies Refuse to Share their Collected Seismic Data. “In low seismic environments like Fox Creek where the natural earthquakes are infrequent, the hazards from an induced seismic event can exceed the hazards from a natural source”

2015 01 29: Did Alberta Just Break a Fracking Earthquake World Record with 4.4 Temblor at Fox Creek? Sounds of Silence: The Crooked Lake Earthquakes

2015 01 28: American Insurance Industry Adjusts to Earthquake Risk Caused by Fracking

2015 01 26: UK National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance New Frac Exclusion: “WE will not pay for liability arising out of any activity involving prospecting, extraction or refining of liquid or gaseous fuel. An example of such an activity is ‘fracking’”

32014 12 25: 3.8 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Logan County On Christmas 

2014 09 01: Alberta Energy Regulator still won’t admit the truth: Hydraulic fracturing directly causes earthquakes

2014 07 07: Do you have copies of Commercial Liability Insurance Coverage for companies operating near your home and loved ones?

2014 07 05: New Cornell Study: Because of fracing, Oklahoma now has three times more earthquakes than California; Number of potentially damaging earthquakes – magnitude 3.0 or larger – up more than 120 percent

2014 03 07: Drilling and fracing cast shadow on home mortgages; underwriters concerned with the “unique risks associated with the fracing process”

2014 02 19: Oklahoma wonders why earthquakes are dramatically increasing: Is oil and gas drilling and fracking to blame?

2014 02 03: The Association of British Insurers (ABI) could demand info from homeowners if they are near fracking sites

2014 01 18: Netherlands: Friesland wants to be compensated for damages caused by drilling; Nearly $2 billion property damages in Groningen from gas drilling induced earthquakes

2014 01 07: USGS to make separate GLOBAL risk map for man-made quakes; National Research Council excludes 272 frac-caused quakes in BC’s Horn River Basin off global map

2014 01 03: Has the frac industry lost Texas? At earthquake town hall meeting of more than 800, Texans call for fracking to stop

2013 11 12: Banks refusing mortgages on land where oil or gas rights have been sold to energy company; insurance companies cancel renewals if they find gas or oil lease on insured properties

2013 08 09: NY Landowners Denied Homeowners Insurance because of Gas Well

2013 08 03: lawsuit: Quakes caused by frack water disposal damaged homes, Two Alvarado homeowners are suing several energy companies saying they induced earthquakes that damaged their homes

2013 01 09: Mountain View County Council voices concerns with Alberta ERCB’s proposed deregulating oilfield emergency requirements

2012 12 26: Historic Downtown Building Shut Down One Year After Earthquake

TULSA, Oklahoma – An earthquake shut down an historic Tulsa building, more than a year after it shook the city.

To most people, it’s known as the building with the Arby’s on the first floor, but the Excalibur has been in downtown Tulsa for almost a century. World Publishing bought the building back in 1997. With the exception of Arby’s, the building has been sitting empty for more than a year.

When pieces of masonry and cement started falling from the building in late August, Managing Editor Susan Ellerbach says the World hired engineers from an outside firm to inspect the Excalibur.

Ellerbach said the engineers reported the structural damage was likely caused by the magnitude 5.6 earthquake and its many aftershocks back in November 2011.

11/7/2012 Related Story: 4.7 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Oklahoma Monday Evening

Ellerbach told us the building is simply not safe, and because of those serious safety concerns, World Publishing made the decision to close it.

The building’s owner has contacted the city to let them know about the dangers of the building. The city has since shut down the sidewalks surrounding the building. They’re also expected to put up scaffolding to shield any other possible falling debris. [Emphasis added]

2012 12 05: Portage County, Ohio: Fracking blamed for home damage

WINDHAM — A homeowner says cracking walls and crumbling mortar are being caused by a nearby fracking well. Beckie Dean blames the “enormous” damage to her 11-year-old house on the drilling operation just across the street, about 1,000 feet away. She says the cracks began to appear in September, soon after the well went online. “We’ve had two contractors, two structural engineers come in, and they both said it is defintely vibration cracks and they ruled out every other source of vibration except for the drilling rig,” Dean told WKYC. Dean has noted every crack and writes the time and date it appeared next to it, on her walls and ceiling. She pointed to her fireplace which has loose mortar and had two decorative rocks fall off of it. “After that, water began to leak through the chimney into the house,” she recalled.

2012 08 14: Fracking Catches the Attention of Insurers, With public attention focused on the practice, and lawsuits piling up, fracking is now a business concern too

2012 07 16: Nationwide Insurance continues avoiding shale gas fracking risks

2012 07 15: First Insurance Company Refuses to Cover Damages Caused by Fracking

2012 07 14: Nationwide Statement Regarding Concerns About Hydraulic Fracturing

2012 07 13: Insurer: No shale gas coverage, Nationwide says policies exclude hydrofracking

2012 07 13: Possible Damage From “Fracking” Not Covered By Standard Homeowner’s Policy

2012 07 12: Nationwide Insurance: Fracking Damage Won’t Be Covered

2012 07 12: US insurance company nixes coverage for damage related to hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas

2012 07 05: Drillers face first class-action lawsuit for triggered temblors

2012 05 11: Insurers find it tough to price fracking risk

2012 02 24: Fracking a lesser-known, but significant environmental insurance risk

2011 07 29: The New “F” Word: “Fraccidental” Insurance Headaches – Fracking: Understanding the opportunities & challenges of the latest environmental liability exposures

Just as the old truism states that you can’t insure a burning building, many underwriters are unwilling to offer coverage where the drinking water has already caught fire. In fact, a few insurers are contemplating excluding all fracking operations.

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2011 07 27: Arkansas Waste injection wells to Shut Down, Lawsuit Continues

….the Oil and Gas Commission voted unanimously to ban current and future injection wells spanning 11-hundred square miles. … Commissioner Mike Davis says putting people at possible risk was not right. And even though Sam Lane who filed a class action lawsuit earlier this year against the natural gas companies (BHP Billiton Petroleum, Chesapeake Operating Inc., and Clarita Operating LLC.) is happy with the outcome. He says the damage has been done and he’s suit is still active. Lane says he filed for a loss of real estate market value, emotional distress, structure damage and having to purchase earthquake insurance. He points, “We noticed this crack here just a couple of days after the 4.7, the largest earthquake we had out of all of them.”

Rather than get used to the earthquakes that started rattling Faulkner County nearly a year ago Sam Lane decided to investigate by requesting seismic data from the state and plotting them. He recalls, “We started feeling sometime dozens a day.” He lives within miles of three injection wells; two were temporarily shut down pending the outcome of the Oil and Gas Commission meeting this week. “When they shut them down the earthquakes almost stopped.”“I’ve talked to people who have tens of thousands of dollars in damage; they’ve basically described their home being split in half.” [Emphasis added]

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Why did regulators, companies, academics, “experts,” and companies the world over lie about the endless risks claiming fracing is perfectly safe?

Why are they still lying?

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