Searching for solutions to induced seismicity

A sharp rise in seismic events in some areas of the United States where oil and gas production is booming is leading regulators and the industry to examine whether the two are related. According to the USGS, induced seismicity, as related to energy production, occurs when there is a change in pore pressure or a change in stress, or both, near faults that are stable, but under critical stress. One of these groups is the American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC), a national trade association representing 34 independent operating US companies that include members such as Apache and Chesapeake Energy. The AXPC and other trade groups, including the Texas Oil and Gas Association, are focusing on the same critical factors in the quest to identify high-risk wells. For researchers and groups such as the SCITS, the lack of timely and accurate injection data means the creation of predictive computer models is nearly impossible.