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Why some fracking wells are prone to triggering earthquakes
Some of the biggest fracking-induced earthquakes in the world — including three higher than magnitude 4.0 that could be felt by humans — have taken place in the Kaybob Duvernay Formation near Fox Creek, [Alberta]. But they've happened only in certain areas and only since 2013, even though fracking began there in 2010. Why?
A study led by Ryan Schultz, a seismologist with the Alberta Energy Regulator and a geophysical research scientist at the University of Alberta, shows that the underlying geology determines whether earthquakes can be induced at all by a particular well. But if an earthquake can be induced, then the number of earthquakes increased with the amount of fluid pumped into the well, reports the study published Thursday in the journal Science [DOI: 10.1126/science.aao0159] [DX].
The authors of the study, which also involved researchers at Western University, the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta and Natural Resources Canada, came to that conclusion after analyzing drilling records for around 300 wells in the region submitted to the Alberta Energy Regulator. They found that the reason earthquakes didn't start there until 2013 was because companies didn't start drilling earthquake-prone wells until then.
So what makes a well earthquake prone? Earthquakes happen at faults, where two of the Earth's tectonic plates come together. Earthquakes occur when the two plates slip or slide relative to one another. In order to cause an earthquake, a fracking well needs to have a physical connection via the underlying rock to a fault that is oriented so that the pressure of fluid from the well can change the stress on that fault and increase the chance of it slipping.
Also at the University of Alberta.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by frojack on Sunday January 21 2018, @11:38PM (5 children)
So I predict a new technique for managing problem faults, such as those the periodically lock, then release violently:
Lubricate these with fracking by intentionally drilling into the fault, and allowing many smaller swarms of earthquakes to release pent up potential at suspected locked points, avoiding big faults later on.
I suspect you'd have to practice in some rural backwater, rather than on the San Andreas [wikipedia.org] which is too big to practice on in terms of actual size and potential risk. Maybe in Alaska or some smaller midwest faults.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 21 2018, @11:55PM (4 children)
Or not - Southern Commiefornia brings me down [theconversation.com]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 22 2018, @02:35AM (3 children)
They've been saying that for a lot of years.
There was a 7.9 event near Fort Tejon in 1857.
Even today, that isn't near a major population center. [googleapis.com]
(A smaller number zooms out.)
The Frisco event of 1906 was a 7.8 event.
The San Andreas Fault hasn't ruptured since then.
Are we due? More or less.
On average, that turns loose every 110 - 140 years.
.
Southern Commiefornia
Wouldn't that be nice?
Education at zero cost to the student as far as he can take that.
No corporations paying poverty wages for part-time jobs without benefits.
No bloodsucking landlords constantly jacking up rents.
No one homeless and left out in the cold. (It got down to 43 F last night. Brrrrr!)
No one dying at 30 because they don't have medical insurance.
No one going bankrupt because they got sick and the medical insurance they paid for was a scam.
Sounds awesome!
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday January 22 2018, @05:17PM (2 children)
Or how about, Louis Armstrong was on the right track. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nGKqH26xlg/ [youtube.com]
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 22 2018, @11:05PM
Alvin Lee and Ten Years After had a related idea (though their notion wouldn't necessarily involve dumping Capitalism, just lessening inequality).
I'd Love to Change the World [google.com]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23 2018, @12:01AM
Bleeding Heart Liberal Michael Moore did a movie where he looked around the globe and found nations doing things better than USA.[1] [google.com]
[1] If you ask the same question multiple times, Google will stop asking stupid questions. [google.com]
Germany will educate you gratis, as far as you can take that--even if you're not a German national.
All developed countries except USA have education systems with low costs.
Cuba is a wonderful example of literacy and education.
(California had gratis education until Regan became governor.)
Germany requires that, for a corporation with more than a piddling number of employees, half of the board of directors must be selected by The Workers.
France has a 35-hour workweek.
27 percent of residences in Poland are in housing cooperatives. [google.com]
The Czech Republic has a whole bunch of that too.
In every developed country except USA, nobody goes bankrupt due to medical costs.
Some countries will even treat visitors with emergencies gratis.
(People fleeing Fascist Reactionary oppression in Paraguay get the same gratis medical care as citizens do when those folks cross the border into Socialist Argentina.) [dissidentvoice.org]
N.B. The costs of USA's for-profit healthcare system are almost twice that of the nation with the 2nd most expensive system.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]