New tool reduces risk of triggering manmade earthquakes

A new software tool can help reduce the risk of triggering manmade earthquakes by calculating the probability that oil and gas production activities will trigger slip in nearby faults. A new, freely available software tool developed by Stanford scientists will enable energy companies and regulatory agencies to calculate the probability of triggering manmade earthquakes from wastewater injection and other activities associated with oil and gas production. 'Faults are everywhere in the Earth's crust, so you can't avoid them. Fortunately, the majority of them are not active and pose no hazard to the public. The trick is to identify which faults are likely to be problematic, and that's what our tool does,' said Mark Zoback , professor of geophysics at Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. Zoback developed the approach with his graduate student Rall Walsh. Four wells increase pressure in nearby faults.