Texas regulators recently tightened up the rules for disposal wells- the ones that get rid of oilfield waste. The action was in response to a cluster of earthquakes that have rattled North Texas according to a recent article from StateImpact Texas.
The group that makes these regulations is the Texas Railroad Commission. The three-member group voted unanimously to adopt the new imperatives requiring companies to submit additional information including historic records of earthquakes in a region when applying to drill a disposal well. The proposal also clarifies the authority by the commission to slow or halt injections or fracking waste into a problematic well, as well as requiring more frequent disclosure of volume and injection pressure.
Commissioner Barry Smitherman says the vote was an example of how the commission is able to identify and issue and “move quickly and proactively address it.”
Further details are available from StateImpact Texas.
