Fracking Moratorium
By: Nichelle Sullivan
Updated: January 27, 2011
Is the uptick in earthquakes around guy tied to disposal wells from the natural gas industry?
This week the state's oil and gas commission decided to extend its December moratorium on new wells for fracking fluid.
That puts three on hold.
Since the disposal method injects millions of gallons of waste fracking fluid into the ground under great pressure it's thought that pressure may be disturbing the earth two kilometers below the surface -- Causing the quakes.
According to Scott Ausbrooks with the Arkansas Geological survey, they have to look at the depth, and what interval of rock are they injecting into and then what earthquakes are in the vicinity of that well and at what depth are those quakes occurring.
The moratorium will be reviewed in July after all the data is in.
