This week Oklahoma regulators released new regulations in hopes of further reducing the frequency of earthquakes in the Sooner State.
As The Oklahoman reports, this "fracking" plan is an expansion of previous responses to earthquakes linked to wastewater disposal wells. Recently the state has seen rapid development in the SCOOP and STACK formations in west central and south central Oklahoma. Almost half of Oklahoma’s 78 drilling rigs are in those two areas.
These areas were not included in recent efforts to reduce wastewater injection in the state. So now regulators are hoping to get ahead of developments in these areas by instituting similar regulations as the rest of the state has seen.
The guidelines are similar to those developed in Canada and Ohio for reducing earthquakes linked to fracking. In the event of earthquakes greater than magnitude-3.5, operations are suspended and a formal technical conference with regulators is held.