scholarly journals Unprecedented quiescence in resource development area allows detection of long-lived latent seismicity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca O. Salvage ◽  
David W. Eaton
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Seismicity Rate ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Montney Formation ◽  
Correlation Prior

Abstract. Recent seismicity in Alberta and British Columbia has been attributed to ongoing oil and gas development in the area, due to its temporal and spatial correlation. Prior to such development, the area was seismically quiescent. Here, we show evidence that latent seismicity may occur in areas where previous operations may have occurred, even during a shutdown in operations. The global pandemic of COVID-19 furnished the unique opportunity to study seismicity during a period of anthropogenic quiescence. A total of 389 events were detected within the Kiskatinaw area of British Columbia from April to August 2020, which encompasses a period with no hydraulic fracturing operations during a government imposed lockdown. Apart from a reduction in seismicity rate, the general characteristics of the observed seismicity were similar to the preceding time period of active operations. During the shutdown, observed event magnitudes fell between ML −1 and ML 1.2, but lacked temporal clustering that is often characteristic of hydraulic-fracturing induced sequences. Hypocenters occurred in a corridor orientated NW-SE, just as seismicity had done in previous years in the area, and locate at depths associated with the target Montney formation or shallower (

scholarly journals Unprecedented quiescence in resource development area allows detection of long-lived latent seismicity

Solid Earth ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 765-783
Author(s):  
Rebecca O. Salvage ◽  
David W. Eaton
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Pore Pressure ◽  
Stock Prices ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Economic Market ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Seismicity Rate ◽  
North East ◽  
Correlation Prior

Abstract. Recent seismicity in Alberta and north-east British Columbia has been attributed to ongoing oil and gas development in the area, due to its temporal and spatial correlation. Prior to such development, the area was seismically quiescent. Here, we show evidence that latent seismicity may occur in areas where previous operations have occurred, even during a shutdown in operations. The global COVID-19 pandemic furnished the unique opportunity to study seismicity during a long period of anthropogenic quiescence. Within the Kiskatinaw area of British Columbia, 389 events were detected from April to August 2020, which encompasses a period with very little hydraulic fracturing operations. This reduction in operations was the result of a government-imposed lockdown severely restricting the movement of people as well as a downturn in the economic market causing industry stock prices to collapse. Except for a reduction in the seismicity rate and a lack of temporal clustering that is often characteristic of hydraulic fracturing induced sequences, the general characteristics of the observed seismicity were similar to the preceding time period of active operations. During the period of relative quiescence, event magnitudes were observed between ML −0.7 and ML 1.2, which is consistent with previous event magnitudes in the area. Hypocentres occurred in a corridor orientated NW–SE, just as seismicity had done in previous years, and were located at depths associated with the target Montney formation or shallower (<2.5 km). A maximum of 21 % of the detected events during lockdown may be attributable to natural seismicity, with a further 8 % potentially attributed to dynamic triggering of seismicity from teleseismic events and 6 % related to ongoing saltwater disposal and a single operational well pad. However, this leaves ∼65 % of the seismicity detected during lockdown being unattributable to primary activation mechanisms. This seismicity is unlikely to be the result of direct pore pressure increases (as very little direct injection of fluids was occurring at the time) and we see no patterns of temporal or spatial migration in the seismicity as would be expected from direct pore pressure increases. Instead, we suggest that this latent seismicity may be generated by aseismic slip as fluids (resulting from previous hydraulic fracturing injection) become trapped within permeable formations at depth, keeping pore pressures in the area elevated and consequently allowing the generation of seismicity. Alternatively, this seismicity may be the result of fault and fracture weakening in response to previous fluid injection. This is the first time that this latent seismicity has been observed in this area of British Columbia and, as such, this may now represent the new normal background seismicity rate within the Kiskatinaw area.

Latent seismicity driven by aseismic creep and enhanced pore-fluid pressure in NE British Columbia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca O. Salvage ◽  
David W. Eaton
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Pore Pressure ◽  
Fluid Pressure ◽  
Fluid Injection ◽  
Maximum Magnitude ◽  
Dynamic Triggering ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Pressure Diffusion ◽  
Montney Formation

&lt;p&gt;The global pandemic of COVID-19 furnished an opportunity to study seismicity in the Kiskatinaw area of British Columbia, noted for hydraulic-fracturing induced seismicity, during a period of anthropogenic quiescence. A total of 389 events were detected from April to August 2020, encompassing a period with no hydraulic-fracturing operations during a government-imposed lockdown. During this time period, observed seismicity had a maximum magnitude of M&lt;sub&gt;L&lt;/sub&gt; 1.2 and lacked temporal clustering that is often characteristic of hydraulic-fracturing induced sequences. Instead, seismicity was persistent over the lockdown period, similar to swarm-like seismicity with no apparent foreshock-aftershock type sequences. Hypocenters occurred within a corridor orientated NW-SE, just as seismicity had done in previous years in the area, with focal depths near the target Montney formation or shallower (&lt;2.5 km). Based on the Gutenberg-Richter relationship, we estimate that a maximum of 21% of the detected events during lockdown may be attributable to natural seismicity, with a further 8% possibly due to dynamic triggering of seismicity from teleseismic events. The remaining ~70% cannot be attributed to direct pore pressure increases induced by fluid injection, and therefore is inferred to represent latent seismicity i.e. seismicity that occurs after an unusually long delay following primary activation processes, with no obvious triggering mechanism. We can exclude pore-pressure diffusion from the most recent fluid injection, as is there is no clear pattern of temporal or spatial seismicity migration. If elevated pore pressure from previous injections became trapped in the subsurface, this could explain the localization of seismicity within an operational corridor, but it does not explain the latency of seismicity on a timescale of months. However, aseismic creep on weak surfaces such as faults, in response to tectonic stresses, in addition to trapped elevation pore-pressure could play a role in stress re-loading to sustain the observed pattern of seismicity.&lt;/p&gt;

Environmental pathways of potential impacts to human health from oil and gas development in northeast British Columbia, Canada

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judi Krzyzanowski
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Actual Health ◽  
Water Borne

Concerns have arisen recently as to whether the upstream oil and gas (UOG) sector — responsible for exploration, production, and some processing of raw fossil fuels — is negatively impacting human (and environmental) health in northeast British Columbia (NEBC). The region has experienced increased rates of cancers and other illnesses that have been linked to the contaminants and stressors associated with UOG. Contaminants reach human receptors through environmental pathways, namely air, soil, water, and food. Each contaminant or stressor has specific sources, transport, exposure mechanisms, and biochemistry; and each can impact health both directly and indirectly. Of particular concern are airborne sulphur and nitrogen oxides, hazardous volatile organic compounds, hydrogen sulphide, ozone, noise, and radiation; as well as soil- or water-borne hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and radiation — some of which can also impact human health through food pathways. It has been determined that UOG is negatively impacting human health in NEBC; however, further information, such as environmental monitoring, is required before the actual health risks and impacts posed by UOG can be quantified.

Seismic b-value within the Montney Play of Northeast British Columbia, Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Babaie Mahani
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Induced Seismicity ◽  
B Value ◽  
Systematic Difference ◽  
Magnitude Distribution ◽  
Seismicity Rate ◽  
Northern Area ◽  
Seismicity Rates ◽  
Frequency Magnitude Distribution

Critical analysis of induced earthquake occurrences requires comprehensive datasets obtained by dense seismographic networks. In this study, using such datasets, I take a detailed investigation into induced seismicity that occurred in the Montney play of northeast British Columbia, mostly caused by hydraulic fracturing. The frequency-magnitude distribution (FMD) of earthquakes in several temporal and spatial clusters, show fundamental discrepancies between seismicity in the southern Montney play (2014-2018) and the northern area (2014-2016). In both regions, FMDs follow the linear Gutenberg-Richter (G-R) relationship for magnitudes up to 2-3. While in the southern Montney, within the Fort St. John graben complex, the number of earthquakes at larger magnitudes falls off rapidly below the G-R line, within the northern area with a dominant compressional regime, the number of events increases above the G-R line. This systematic difference may have important implications with regard to seismic hazard assessments from induced seismicity in the two regions, although caution in the interpretation is warranted due to local variabilities. While for most clusters within the southern Montney area, the linear or truncated G-R relationship provide reliable seismicity rates for events below magnitude 4, the G-R relationship underestimates the seismicity rate for magnitudes above 3 in northern Montney. Using a well-located dataset of earthquakes in southern Montney, one can observe generally that 1) seismic productivity correlates well with the injected volume during hydraulic fracturing and 2) there is a clear depth dependence for the G-R b-value; clusters with deeper median depths show lower b-values than those with shallower depths.

scholarly journals Comparison of chemical-use between hydraulic fracturing, acidizing, and routine oil and gas development

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. e0175344 ◽  
Author(s):  
William T. Stringfellow ◽  
Mary Kay Camarillo ◽  
Jeremy K. Domen ◽  
Seth B. C. Shonkoff
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Development

Structural reform and petroleum (environment) regulations in the Northern Territory

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 565
Author(s):  
Jop van Hattum ◽  
Victoria Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Regulatory Framework ◽  
Structural Reform ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Consultation Process ◽  
Ecologically Sustainable ◽  
Ecologically Sustainable Development

The opportunity for onshore oil and gas development in the Northern Territory (NT) has grown exponentially in recent years, driven by the NT’s expansive shale gas resources in the McArthur Basin and elsewhere. Such resources provide many potential benefits to the territory’s economy, including job creation and clean, cost-effective energy generation opportunities. Critical to the successful development of the industry is a legitimate social licence to operate with the community, for which strong environmental regulation is a key enabling factor. Communities must be assured that oil and gas activities can provide ecologically sustainable development, and a transparent, evidence- and risk-based framework is the best way to achieve this. Following the NT Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing by Dr Allan Hawke in November 2014, and further review of the environmental assessment and approval processes in May 2015, the NT Government has implemented structural reform and developed contemporary outcome-focused Petroleum (Environment) Regulations to balance environmental protection with the economic development benefits offered by the onshore gas industry. Those objectives include that petroleum development in the NT: is consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development; reduces risks and impacts to levels that are as low as reasonably practicable and acceptable; ensures meaningful engagement with stakeholder; and, provides for transparency of decision-making and publication of approved environment management plans in full. This extended abstract provides an update of the reform of the regulatory framework, the regulatory objectives, the regulations by which they’re achieved, and the consultation process followed to gain wide stakeholder support. It will also highlight that strong regulations alone do not provide a robust regulatory framework, and the steps the NT Government is taking to achieve its objective. The regulations are planned to come into force in the third quarter of 2016. Meanwhile, a full review of the NT Petroleum Act and development of Petroleum (Resource Management) Regulations that takes into consideration the recommendations from the Hawke Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT is underway.

United States Experience Regulating Unconventional Oil and Gas Development

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Allison
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Unconventional Oil ◽  
Oil And Gas Operations ◽  
Unconventional Oil And Gas

ABSTRACT In the midst of aggressive anti-drilling campaigns by environmental organizations and well-publicized complaints by citizens unaccustomed to oil and gas operations, rigorous studies of unconventional oil and gas development show that there are no widespread or systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States. In addition, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have significantly declined with the growth in natural gas production and its use in power generation. Furthermore, induced seismicity from subsurface waste disposal has plummeted in response to industry initiatives and new regulations. This record of environmental protection reflects the fact that U.S. hydraulic fracturing, like other oil and gas operations, is highly regulated by the states. In addition, air emissions, operations on federal lands, and subsurface injection are subject to federal regulation. Academic and government researchers have documented that chemicals and gas produced by hydraulic fracturing are not contaminating drinking water. However, as an added complication, methane occurs naturally in drinking water aquifers in some producing areas. In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed a four-year study of potential aquifer contamination from hydraulic fracturing and associated industry operations. The report found some impacts on drinking water including contamination of drinking water wells; however, the number of cases was small compared to the number of wells hydraulically fractured. The scientific peer-review and public critique of the study, which continues after more than a year, may recommend additional research. The emotionally charged, anti-fracking campaigns provided important lessons to U.S. operators: pre-drilling, baseline data on water and air quality are essential to answering public concerns; infrastructure issues such as increased truck traffic on small, local roads are important to residents; and the initial failure to disclose the composition of hydraulic fracturing fluid intensified public concern.

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