The Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s Oil and Gas Division announced plans on Tuesday afternoon to implement action in response to recent earthquake activity in the Cushing area.
The new plan affects 58 Arbuckle disposal wells including 4 that were shut-in by state regulators in October 2015. A total of 54 wells require action under the new plan.
The initial plan outlines three perimeter areas from the location of the 5.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Cushing on Sunday evening. The following action is required:
6 Miles
All Arbuckle disposal well operations in the area must cease.
10 Miles
All Arbuckle disposal wells must reduce volume by 25 percent of their last 30-day average.
15 Miles
All Arbuckle disposal wells in the area are limited in volume to their last 30-day average.
The regulatory directive issued on September 3 required the shut-in of 15 of the Arbuckle disposal wells included in the latest directive.
New action is required for the following:
- 7 Arbuckle disposal wells will be shut-in under the new directive.
- 16 Arbuckle disposal wells will be reduced 25 percent in volume from their last 30-day average. This is in addition to the 40 percent volume reduction that was imposed earlier this year.
- 31 Arbuckle disposal wells will be limited in volume to their last 30-day average. This is in addition to the 40 percent volume reduction that was imposed earlier this year.
The deadline for shut-in compliance is November 14. The deadline for volume limit compliance is November 21.
Noting that this is an initial response plan, state regulatory leaders warned operators that work is underway on a broader plan that will encompass a greater area and more Arbuckle disposal wells. This plan is expected to take several weeks.
“I support the quick action taken today by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry in our state, as it worked closely with state researchers at the Oklahoma Geological Survey to put in place mandatory reductions in activity impacting induced seismicity,” stated Governor Mary Fallin, in a separate press statement released late Tuesday afternoon. “Two years ago, we established the coordinating council on seismicity. Regulators continue to target areas for additional scrutiny that are experiencing increased seismic activity, which has led to the shutting down of disposal wells or reducing the volume of disposal wells and flow pressure in known fault lines where we believe there is a correlation to earthquakes.”