The Kansas Corporation Commission approved an order on Tuesday that restricts the amount of oilfield saltwater injections which are introduced into the Arbuckle formation in parts of five counties located in south central Kansas.
The state regulatory panel hopes that the new rules will place more restrictions on the volume of wastewater that can be dumped into disposal wells located in seismically sensitive areas.
Earthquakes began occurring more frequently in Oklahoma and southern Kansas during 2013 after an uptick in hydraulic fracturing. Reduced injection rates are being credited with a reduction in the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes on the Kansas side of the Oklahoma border.
“We’ve taken action to see that we don’t have the seismic activity we’ve seen south of Kansas,” said Kansas Corporation Commissioner Pat Apple, who approved the new restrictions along with Chairman Jay Emler.
The KCC order found that increased seismic activity is an immediate danger to the public health, safety and welfare of Kansas citizens.
Commissioner Shari Feist Albrecht filed a dissenting opinion favoring stronger restrictions.
The Kansas Geological Survey determined that fracking wasn’t the major cause of earthquakes but focused on the disposal wells used to eliminate oilfield wastewater by injecting it into rock formations deep underground. Underground wastewater upsets the balance between layers of rock underground, causing that rock to shift and generating the tremors felt on the surface.
About 16 barrels of water comes up for each barrel of oil produced in Kansas. The wastewater is too polluted with oil and salt to be disposed at ground level.
Any violation of the disposal limit or record-keeping requirements could result in a $10,000-a-day fine along with shutdown and sealing of the well.
