Earthquake prompts driller to stop completion work

A 3.4 magnitude earthquake forced Continental Resources to stop completion on a Grady County well in the past week.

Corporation Commission officials were brought into the discussion as company leaders wondered whether to proceed or stop completion on the Galvin 3-22-15xhw well near the town of Alex.

In the end, the company stopped completion activities on the well and also decided not to begin completion on another well in the same area. The epicenter of the quake was about 5 miles from Alex.

So far this year, the state has recorded at least five quakes of 3.0 magnitude or greater. Jake Walter, Oklahoma’s state seismologist told The Oklahoman the slowdown in earthquakes is due in part to the decision of regulators to require operators to use other geological formations to dispose of produced water rather than using the Arbuckle.