Originally Posted by Dynomite (Post 236573)

Fracking and Oklahoma Earthquakes

North Dakota Fracking is slowing down (or not speeding up as fast) due to oil prices hitting the skids. I am sure we will start seeing earthquakes in South Dakota.

North Dakota Fracking

Originally Posted by A26B (Post 236575)

Fracing has been used since the 50's. Blaming the majority of this activity on fracing & saltwater disposal wells is ridiculous. Oklahoma law prohibits disposal well injection pressures above the formation frac gradient. In my locale, there are hardly any oil or gas wells and most did not require frac stimulation, were drilled decades ago and at depths well under 2km. Hardly to blame for local earthquakes. Most of Oklahoma's earthquakes occur at depth of 3~7km+ deep.

Most people tend to think of their lifetime as a substantial period of time & therefore relevant to the frequency of earthquakes. Surprise, a human lifetime of 75 years is completely insignificant to geological time. The last major tectonic activity in Oklahoma & Kansas ocurred during the Mississippian age about 350,000,000 years ago, or roughly 5,000,000 lifetimes ago. What we are experiencing, in my opinion, is a period of adjustment for accumulated stresses. One fault shifts a little & relieves pressure on an adjacent fault, so it moves a little, etc. This is not a bad thing. If those stresses are not relieved in small movements, they build up into major movement. That's bad.

It's turned into a chicken little, "the sky is falling" scenario. Earthquake insurance is now offered as a rider. Pay the extra premium, along with a large deductible, and you can be protected against major earthquake damage. Whoa, not so fast!! That's only if it's not man-made or a result of oil & gas activity or disposal. SO they take your premium payment & shout fracing & disposal are responsible and refuse to pay your claim. SO, now the burden falls to the consumer to sue & prove that it was a natural ocurrence. An expensive case to try with lots of expert witnesses & no definitive answer, just lots of opinions. BS!:censored:

Originally Posted by Fully Vetted (Post 237102)

I agree 100%. Put it in the same bucket as global warming.

You do like to live life on the edge, though. As if the tornadoes aren't enough lets throw in a couple thousand earthquakes a year!