Oklahoma quake caused by injection wells?

[cleller]

You've probably seen the stories already, but I'm wondering what the fallout from this study will be. Most of the homes damaged by that quake had no quake insurance, so there will undoubtedly be some activity to try and recover damages from whoever was doing the injecting.

I imagine blame will be about as hard as pinning a tail on a porcupine. Could get convoluted in many ways.
I live right near the epicenter. No damage, but I lost some sleep. Where do I get a claim form?

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/03/26/large-56-magnitude-2011-oklahoma-earthquake-was-likely-man-made-scientists-say/

[Breadburner]

Bull****....!!!

[KantoSooner]

Where was the epicenter of the well? If more than 1 mile below the surface (where the fluids were injected), then what mechanism is suggested by which the fluids caused the fault slip?

[cleller]

Here's a couple more links that might be helpful. The initial report from "Geology" journal:
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2013/03/26/G34045.1.abstract

And rebuttal from the Oklahoma Geological Survey:
http://www.ogs.ou.edu/earthquakes/OGS_PragueStatement201303.pdf

Hopefully we'll be able to find more of the info that points toward the injection well theory. Obviously these aren't a bunch of message board hacks making this claim. Seems plausible enough that injecting liquids into the earth at a high enough pressure might cause SOMETHING to happen.

Living near Sparks, I can also add that after the big quake, a new injection well was drilled about 3 miles west of me. Great news.

[Midtowner]

I'm just wondering whether there can be enough of a nexus for OBU to sue whoever caused the quake that damaged its campus. That'd be some interesting litigation--like foreign aid coming to town in Pott County.

[Petro-Sooner]

Bull****....!!!

Pretty much. From what I understand the co-author is a geology professor at OU. People are calling for her head.

[KantoSooner]

From what I understand, most earthquakes are centered mileS (my emphasis) under the surface. The injection is happening A mile (my emphasis) down.
So: What mechanism connects an event one mile down with other events many more miles down? (and in some cases, earthquakes are centered 10 or 20 miles deep.) How does injection water bridge that distance?

[Petro-Sooner]

From what I understand, most earthquakes are centered mileS (my emphasis) under the surface. The injection is happening A mile (my emphasis) down.
So: What mechanism connects an event one mile down with other events many more miles down? (and in some cases, earthquakes are centered 10 or 20 miles deep.) How does injection water bridge that distance?

That's just the thing. It doesn't.

[KantoSooner]

Petro, sorry to not be clear. I was just trying to be gentle. The next question was going to be, "Okay, we're geographically in proximity. Measuring in whatever unit you want, how much force/energy/whatever is 'injected' into the earth with the fluids? And how does this compare with the energy of an earthquake? In other words, how is this pipsqueak event causing this other massive event?"
It's always sort of seemed like the proverbial butterflies in the Amazon causing hurricanes on the gulf coast.

[Scott D]

The quake happened because the state was sad that my ninja visit was so brief :)

[Petro-Sooner]

Petro, sorry to not be clear. I was just trying to be gentle. The next question was going to be, "Okay, we're geographically in proximity. Measuring in whatever unit you want, how much force/energy/whatever is 'injected' into the earth with the fluids? And how does this compare with the energy of an earthquake? In other words, how is this pipsqueak event causing this other massive event?"
It's always sort of seemed like the proverbial butterflies in the Amazon causing hurricanes on the gulf coast.

No I was agreeing with you. As far as pressures and volumes pumped in it depends on how the engineers are wanting to complete a zone. It can vary greatly from what I understand. I'm no engineer. But I can say that nothing man does matches stress and strain of rock at depths of ten to twenty miles.

[Jacie]

I agree that on a tectonic scale, there is no comparison between artificially created forces and natural ones. The only way to implicate fluid injection would be if it was a precursor to the 5.6 seismic event, enough fluid to raise pressure and reduce friction to cause a little slippage that then cascaded into a much larger EQ.

It's a reach but wait'll a shyster lawyer explains it to a judge and some money for damages will be awarded.