Another earthquake strikes Permian Basin

Rise in New Mexico earthquakes likely triggered by oil industry | The NM  Political Report

 

The latest West Texas and southeast New Mexico earthquakes linked to deep wastewater wells were in the strong 4-plus magnitude range.

It was last Thursday when a 4.7 magnitude quake was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey about 34 miles south of Whites City in New Mexico. More than a thousand earthquakes have been recorded in the region so far this year.

The 4.7 magnitude quake came a day after a 3.1 quake had rattled the region.

Like the series of earthquakes that struck Oklahoma a few years ago, the quakes in west Texas and southeast New Mexico are often believed caused by deep injection in wastewater wells used by the oil and gas industry.