Study: Quakes linked to post-gas drilling process

© 2010 The Associated Press
March 10, 2010, 2:43PMFORT WORTH, Texas — A study released Wednesday says there's a plausible connection between a series of North Texas earthquakes and a disposal process that's done after natural gas drilling.

The dozen minor quakes were reported in a few Dallas suburbs from the fall of 2008 through last spring -- and another dozen too small to be felt were detected by equipment. The largest was a 3.3-magnitude quake, and no major injuries or damage were reported.

The Southern Methodist University and University of Texas study says the quakes occurred during the time wastewater from the gas extraction process was injected into a deep disposal well near the quake sites.

The study does not include information about last summer's series of quakes in Cleburne, about 50 miles southwest of Dallas.