New Rules Limit Amount of Wastewater in Oklahoma Disposal Wells

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is imposing new guidelines on oil and natural gas disposal well operations in response to a rise in earthquake activity in northern Oklahoma and southern Logan counties.

The commission that regulates the oil and gas industry announced the new rules on Aug. 3. Under the guidelines, the amount of wastewater a disposal well can handle from oil and gas operations is being reduced.

Under the plan, operators will have 60 days to cut disposal volumes by 38 percent below their 2014 volumes, or about 3.4 million barrels. That will bring total volume to a level below the 2012 totals by about 2.4 million barrels. The area saw its sharpest rise in earthquakes beginning in late 2012.

The Oklahoma Geological Survey says earthquakes are likely triggered by disposal wells.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and state Secretary of Energy and Environment Michael Teague were scheduled to meet on Aug. 4 with members of the Coordinating Council on Seismic Activity to discuss earthquake activity in the state.

The council organizes state resources to deal with increasing seismic activity in Oklahoma. Formed at Fallin’s direction in September, the council shares data, studies, developments and proposed actions involving earthquakes.

Geologists historically recorded an average of 1.5 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or greater each year in Oklahoma. The state is now recording an average of 2.5 magnitude 3 or greater earthquakes each day.

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