The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has regulatory jurisdiction over oil and gas activities in Oklahoma.  The Commission has been challenged to regulate “fracking” wells but has declined.  On Monday, March  7, however, the Commission restricted the disposal of wastes (primarily salt water) produced as a result or byproduct of drilling and production activities.  The restriction covers two significant sized areas of the state.  The Commission did not ban oil or gas production nor the disposal process; but the restrictions are significant enough that production activity will be curtailed.

Parties dispute whether “fracking” itself or the production of hydrocarbons cause earthquakes.  The best evidence says that production does not cause, but also indicates that the deep injection of waste may migrate to the fault lines between geologic plates and increase the possibility that those plates slip against each other, causing earthquakes.

Regulating injection disposal wells will reduce the amount of production from fracking activities because fracking involves large amounts of water.  Oklahoma’s economy is significantly dependent on oil and gas, but political and social pressure about earthquake activities has been mounting.  Oklahoma is seismically active, even without fracking or disposal wells.  If the earthquakes continue the political pressure will increase.