Ohio study finds that drilling activity probably caused earthquakes

Oil and natural gas drilling operations probably caused a series of earthquakes near Youngstown, Ohio, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said Friday.

Twelve earthquakes last year were centered within a mile of a disposal well for brine, a by-product of oil and natural gas hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

A number of coincidental circumstances appear to make a compelling argument for the recent Youngstown-area seismic events to have been induced,” including the timing, location and depth of the earthquakes in relation to the well, the report said.

In response, the natural resources department has created new rules for brine disposal that the state claims are “among the nation’s toughest.”

The new rules require operators to submit more comprehensive geological data when they request a drill site. Also, the companies must electronically track the chemical makeup of all drilling waste water.

While the department found that drilling activity may have caused the Ohio earthquakes, the reports states that most drilling activity does not cause similar problems.