Energy Technologies: How They Work and Their Induced Seismicity Potential - Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies - page 82

TABLE 3.4 Summary Information about Historical Felt Induced Seismicity Caused by or Likely Related
to a Energy Technology Development in the United States

Maximum
Magnitude
of Felt
Event

Net
Reservoir
Pressure
Change

Number of
Felt Induced
Events

Number
of Events
M ≥ 4.0 b

Mechanism
for Induced
Seismicity

Energy
Technology

Number
of Projects

Vapor-
dominated
geothermal

1 300-400 per

year since
2005

4.6 1 to 3

per year

Attempt to
maintain
balance

Temperature
change
between
injectate and
reservoir

Liquid-
dominated
geothermal

23 10-40 per

year

4.1 c Possibly

one

Attempt to
maintain
balance

Pore pressure
increase

Enhanced
geothermal
systems

~8 pilot
projects

2-10 per
year

2.6 0 Attempt to

maintain
balance

Pore pressure
increase and
cooling

Secondary
oil and gas
recovery
(waterflooding)

~108,000
(wells)

One or more
felt events
at 18 sites
across the
country

4.9 3 Attempt to

maintain
balance

Pore pressure
increase

Tertiary oil and
gas recovery
(EOR)

~13,000 None known None

known

0 Attempt to

maintain
balance

Pore pressure
increase (likely
mechanism)

Hydraulic
fracturing
for shale gas
production

35,000
wells total

1 2.8 0 Initial

positive;
then
withdraw

Pore pressure
increase

Hydrocarbon
withdrawal

~6,000
fields

20 sites 6.5 5 Withdrawal Pore pressure

decrease

Wastewater
disposal wells

~30,000 8 4.8 d 7 Addition Pore pressure

increase

Carbon capture
and storage,
small scale

1 None known None

known

0 Addition Pore pressure

increase

Carbon capture
and storage,
large scale

0 None None 0 Addition Pore pressure

increase