Fracking Not Significant Cause of Earthquakes, says UK University Study

A study by Durham University’s Energy Institute in the UK concludes that fracking for shale gas has not caused “significant” earthquakes.

Professor Richard Davies, who authored the study, said in a statement: “Hydraulic fracturing is not a significant mechanism for inducing felt earthquakes and it is extremely unlikely any of us will ever feel an earthquake caused by it… The size and number of felt earthquakes caused by fracking is low compared to other manmade triggers such as mining, geothermal activity or reservoir water storage.”

Examined were all induced earthquakes (that is, earthquakes caused by human activity) since 1929, not just fracking-related occurences.  Davies said "tremors caused by the fracking released “a negligible amount of energy.”

The Durham study did however find that fracking has the potential to reactivate dormant faults.  Davies stated “We cannot see every fault underground and therefore cannot completely discount the possibility of the process causing a small felt earthquake,” and called on the oil and gas industry to avoid drilling on underground faults that are unstable.