American Oil and Gas Reporter - September 2016 - 18

IndustryDigest
Sumner counties, while also reducing
individual injection rates into the
Arbuckle formation within all of Harper
and Sumner counties to no more than
25,000 bbl/d. The order also required
monthly reporting of daily injection
volumes and established a monitoring
period.
Based on data gathered since, the
KCC says its staff has concluded
preliminarily that the reductions are
making a difference. Nevertheless, it
continues, "Because the data show
increasing seismicity and continued
clustering of earthquakes outside the
2015 specified areas, staff
recommended the geographic scope . . .
be expanded to include approximately
1,500 sections in Barber, Harper,
Kingman, Sedgwick and Sumner
counties."
The KCC notes that its staff
recommended that each Arbuckle well
in the newly covered area be limited to
saltwater injections no greater than
12,000 bbl/d, but the order indicates the
commission has voted to test whether a

18 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

16,000 bbl/d limit will suffice. Injection
limits for wells covered by the 2015
order remain unchanged, the new order
says.
The order also includes monitoring
and reporting requirements, during
which the Kansas Geological Survey is
to review the data and recommend any
further action. KCC staff also are
directed to consider well spacing within
all affected areas.
Regarding seismic activity, the KCC
cites specific National Earthquake
Information Center findings about felt
earthquakes in Harper and Sumner
Counties:
* During the 180 days before the
March 2015 order, the NEIC measured
107 earthquakes with a magnitude of at
least 2.5 or greater, 44 of which were at
least 3.0 and four that were at least 4.0.
* In the 180 days after the March
2015 order, the NEIC measured 65
earthquakes that were at least 2.5, 23
that were at least 3.0, and one of at least
4.1.
* From Sept. 15, 2015, until Feb.

15, 2016, NEIC detected 52 earthquakes
of at least 2.5, 14 of at least 3.0, and
zero of 4.0. ❒

NASA Methane Study
Is Fine, But Limited
Industry Groups Say
DURANGO, CO.-A National
Aeronautics and Space Administration
study on methane emissions in the Four
Corners region constitutes a good first
step, but its scope is narrow compared
with other pending studies that are
expected to provide more
comprehensive analyses, holds a
coalition of oil and gas groups.
The New Mexico Oil & Gas
Association, Western Energy Alliance,
Colorado Oil & Gas Association,
Colorado Petroleum Council, and La
Plata County Energy Council suggest
findings released in August by NASA
are of limited use. According to the
groups, NASA initiated its study after
satellite images captured from 20032009 visually depicted methane levels
of 50 parts per billion-or 3 percent-
above common background levels of
1,800 ppb.
They say NASA's study estimated
methane levels from sites in New
Mexico and Colorado between April 17
and 24, 2015, finding detectable levels
at approximately 250 locations. The
measurements represent a snapshot in
time, the coalition describes, focus only
on oil and gas sites, and exclude the
area's other known human and natural
methane sources.
Several other studies under way-by
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the University of
Colorado, and the University of
Michigan in conjunction with NASA-
will include on-the-ground
measurements of the Four Corners'
area's other methane sources, including
coal mines, landfills and natural seeps,
the groups observe.
"The (NASA) study represents a
snapshot in time that can provide
valuable information, but is not suitable
for extrapolation to monthly, annual or
other longer-term emission estimates,"
maintains La Plata County Energy
Council Executive Director Christi
Zeller. "Certain operational events, such
as scheduled maintenance, are
temporary and can skew results. For
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American Oil and Gas Reporter - September 2016

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