[알고보니] Can oil and fuel growth trigger earthquakes?

◀ Reporter ▶

After the federal government not too long ago introduced plans to develop oil and fuel within the East Sea, there are considerations about an earthquake occurring, particularly within the close by Pohang space.

Throughout the drilling course of, earthquakes can happen within the surrounding space.

We did a truth test to see how shut oil drilling and earthquakes are.

◀ Assertion ▶

The Groningen fuel discipline, the most important pure fuel deposit in Europe, is situated within the north of the Netherlands.

Found in 1959, it’s estimated that 450 billion cubic meters of fuel nonetheless exist, however the Dutch authorities closed the location completely two months in the past.

Since 1986, about 1,600 earthquakes have occurred right here.

The Dutch authorities investigated and concluded that “fuel extracted from Groningen was inflicting earthquakes.”

It’s being investigated that the reason for the earthquake is a discount in stress on rocks under the floor because of fuel extraction.

Oklahoma, a significant oil and fuel producing area in the USA.

Earthquakes began growing quickly right here since 2010.

Previous to that, earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or better occurred on common twice a yr, however the quantity elevated to almost 1,000 in 2015.

The 2010s have been the turning level for shale in the USA, when mass manufacturing of oil and fuel was achieved by means of innovation in drilling expertise.

The US Vitality Info Administration analyzed that “the rise in earthquakes coincides with the rise in oil and pure fuel manufacturing from shale drilling.”

The reason being a mining technique known as hydraulic fracturing.

This technique breaks the rock the place crude oil and fuel are saved by firing water combined with chemical compounds beneath excessive stress from a pipe that has been inserted into the bottom.

The waste water that’s produced right now is saved in underground storage, and the US Geological Survey believes that this stimulates the sequence and causes earthquakes.

In reality, since Oklahoma started regulating wastewater remedy processes, earthquakes have decreased.

Alternatively, there are oil fields which might be secure with out having to fret about an earthquake.

The potential for earthquakes varies in response to varied elements, such because the fault construction and nature of the soil across the oil discipline, whether or not the oil discipline is situated on land or within the sea, and the drilling technique used.

As for the Japanese Ocean, which is simply being developed, it’s troublesome to guage its potential at this stage.

[최경식/서울대 지구환경과학부 교수]

″(Exploration) Throughout the drilling course of, we’re not likely making use of any stress, we’re simply digging now…″

Since the potential for an earthquake occurring on the degree of exploratory drilling is slim, it appears mandatory to construct belief by means of scientific analysis and demonstrable proof fairly than extreme expectation or concern.

It turned out to be Lee Jun-beom.

Information analysis: Do Yun-seon / Video enhancing: Moon Myeong-bae