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B.C.’s Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) has concluded that a trio of earthquakes in the area around Fort St. John at the end of November were caused by hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations. The quakes struck about 20 kilometres south of the city on Nov. 29. The OGC said they were a result of fracking operations conducted by Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL) The quakes were recorded as magnitude 3.4, 4.0 and 4.5. READ MORE: Magnitude 4.5 quake strikes near Fort St. John The OGC said it made its determination based on the fact that CNRL was conducting hydraulic fracturing at the time of the quakes, and that the epicentres of the quakes and strongest “felt” reports were near the company’s ‘G’ and ‘H’ wells. The OGC said CNRL performed well bore integrity assessments, and did not report any problems. In the wake of the quakes, it said the company immediately suspended its fracking operations and has subsequently cooperated with regulators. WATCH: (Aired March 30, 2018) New study links fracking to Western Canada earthquakes According to the OGC, CNRL was drilling in the natural gas-rich lower Montney formation when the quakes occurred. The company had drilled seven other upper Montney […]
