In A First, Drilling For Oil Linked To Killer US Quakes

New research suggests that oil drilling decades ago may have triggered earthquakes in the Los Angeles region, including the 1933 quake that killed more than 100 people. If confirmed, it would be the first time oil operations have been linked to an earthquake in the US. Scientists from the US Geological Survey identified several quakes in the 1920s and 1930s that were caused by industrial activities, including the 6.4 magnitude jolt that struck Long Beach in 1933. Until now, researchers are pretty much assumed that earthquakes in the LA area are natural and that induced earthquakes are either not happening or not significant. Drilling techniques have changed through the decades, so the findings don’t necessarily point to a current risk. Man made quakes have been in the spotlight after an uptick in seismic activity in Oklahoma and Texas. Studies have linked the spike to the practice of injecting wastewater into the ground after drilling for oil and gas using technologies such as hydraulic fracturing. The induced quakes have rattled nerves and caused property damage, but no deaths. Southern California’s oil boom sparked in 1892 when oil was discovered near what would become the site of Dodge Stadium, north of downtown LA. After tapping the wells dry, drillers headed to points south, including Santa Fe Springs, Inglewood, Torrance and Long Beach. In the study, researchers list of quakes between 1915 and 1930 and reviewed oil permits and drilling operations during that period. They found 13 cases of shaking that may have been caused by ramping up of oil production. The Long Beach quake hit not long after operators began drilling wells at different angles. Some 115 people died, and many schools collapsed, spurring new laws requiring stricter building standards.