Operators of Injection Wells Lead Effort to Create Plan to Address Seismicity in West Texas First-of-its-Kind Response Being Implemented in Northern Culberson-Reeves Seismic Response Area With injection-induced seismic activity on the rise, the RRC created the Northern CulbersonReeves Seismic Response Area (SRA) in the Western Permian Basin in October to study the issue and create a plan to mitigate it.
provide better data on the precise location and depth of earthquakes. This is one of three SRAs in West Texas that the RRC has created to address injection-induced seismic activity from disposal wells. In December, the RRC indefinitely suspended deep disposal in the Gardendale SRA between Odessa and Midland. An operator-led response plan for the Stanton SRA is currently being developed.
Thanks to extensive cooperation from operators of injection wells in the SRA, the agency began implementation of the first-ever operator-led response plan on March 1st to address the seismicity and ensure the safety of residents and the protection of the environment.
The Norther Culberson -Reeves SRA plan affects 57 shallow saltwater disposal wells (typically less than 7,000 feet in depth) above the top of the Wolfcamp Shale Play and 31 deep disposal wells (typically between 11,000-16,000 feet in depth) below the bottom of the Wolfcamp.
The plan SRA – which is adjacent to Guadalupe Mountain National Park to the west and is near the border of New Mexico to the north – is meant to reduce the intensity and frequency of earthquakes, including a goal to eliminate 3.5 magnitude or greater earthquakes no later than Dec. 31, 2023.
“Industry asked RRC to allow them to come up with a plan to address the issue,” said Sean Avitt, Manager of RRC’s Injection-Storage Permits Unit. “We provided extensive feedback to ensure the plan met our goals. Industry was able to produce a plan leveraging what they know about the area and their injection operations there. However, we made it clear if circumstances change, the Commission may have to take further actions to reduce seismicity.”
The comprehensive plan for the Northern Culberson-Reeves SRA provides variable reductions in disposal volumes of produced water (water that comes out of the ground with oil and gas during production) across all disposal wells. It will provide the RRC with additional information with the expansion of the seismic monitoring stations in the area, which will
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