FW CanDo!

There was an earthquake today in the heavily drilled Barnett Shale near Fort Worth.

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1381473.html

After today's (5/16/09) 3rd earthquake in the Barnett Shale region in less than eight months, I think my attached messages from August, 2007 and again in October, 2008 bear repeating.

DY

In light of today's earthquakes in the Fort Worth area, I'm re-sending an email from 8/22/07 for you consideration. See also below two reports and video on the recent earthquake and some additional info.

DY

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/30_Earthquake_Rattles_North_Texas.html

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1010221.html

http://bssa.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/95/2/664

http://www.nyx.net/~dcypser/induceq/iis.html

August 22, 2007

While vacationing recently in Marfa, Texas, I stumbled into a bookstore seeking shade and ran across an interesting book titled, Texas Earthquakes.

I thought to myself, We don't have earthquakes in Texas! The concept seemed counterintuitive. The authors of the book know better. Opening the book at random to page 70, I read the following:

"Three human activities that commonly induce earthquake activity are:

1) Injecting high pressure fluids into rock formations beneath the earths surface.

2) Withdrawing large amounts of fluid or gas.

3) Construction of reservoirs and lakes."

Until very recently, the first 2 items have occurred only in remote parts of the state, away from densely populated areas. The Barnett-Shale play and subsequent fracing technology have changed all that.

According to the Texas Railroad Commission, in the year 2000, there were less than 10 gas wells in Tarrant County. Today, there are more than 1,000 with many more planned and thousands more in the immediate vicinity.

I'm not suggesting there is a serious risk from earthquakes in Tarrant County, there are far more serious risks from drilling, but, expanded gas drilling and injection wells in the north Texas region have moved us into uncharted territory.

To paraphrase Paul Harvey, "One fine day we may know, the rest of the story."

http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/frotex.html