Ohio state regulators have reached the end of an investigation into the cause of recent earthquakes in the region. The most likely culprit seems to have been a disposal well used to remove brine (a by-product of fracking). The investigators stated that the disposal well 黑料社渋ntersected an unmapped fault in a near-failure state of stress causing movement along that fault.黑料社�
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources released a report that said, 黑料社淕eologists believe induced seismic activity is extremely rare, but it can occur with the confluence of a series of specific circumstances.黑料社� It continued, 黑料社淎fter investigating all available geological information and well activity data, regulators and geologists found a number of co-occuring circumstances strongly indicating the Youngstown area earthquakes were induced.黑料社�
Though the findings of the report will doubtlessly raise further concerns over the safety of fracking, it is important to notethat it is believed that the earthquakes were caused, not by the process of fracking itself, but by the removal of by-products.
New rules due to be put in place by Ohio黑料社檚 oil and gas regulators will require a review of geologic data, a ban on disposal wells in certain areas and for operations in the Precambrian basement rock to be halted and plugged with cement.