Oklahoma Earthquake Lawsuit Settles for $2.6M

This latest settlement is part of a long-running saga of induced seismicity in Oklahoma, a phenomenon strongly linked by scientists to the underground disposal of wastewater from oil and gas operations. The state experienced a dramatic surge in earthquakes, rising from an average of less than two magnitude 3.0 or higher earthquakes per year before 2009 to a peak of 887 in 2015. This increase made the state more seismically active than California for a period. The defendants in this specific settlement are Freedom Energy, Montclair, New Dominion, and H&P. One of these, New Dominion, has been a party in previous earthquake-related lawsuits, including a $5.9 million settlement for quakes near Prague in 2011 and another case brought by a woman injured in the same 5.7-magnitude temblor. The 5.1 magnitude earthquake central to this lawsuit struck on February 2, 2024, near Prague, Oklahoma, an area with a history of significant seismic events. A 5.7 magnitude quake hit the same region in 2011, causing injuries and property damage. The February 2024 quake was felt across Oklahoma and in neighboring states, prompting a swift regulatory response. In response to the February 2024 earthquake, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC), the state's oil and gas regulator, ordered the shutdown of all wastewater disposal wells injecting into the deep Arbuckle formation within a 10-mile radius of the quake's epicenter. This action is the latest in a series of regulations implemented since the earthquake swarm began, which have included volume reductions and well shutdowns. These regulatory efforts have led to a significant decrease in seismic activity from the 2015 peak. By 2018, the number of magnitude 3.0 or greater earthquakes had dropped by 83 percent. In 2019, there were just 57 such earthquakes recorded, a stark contrast to the hundreds per year just a few years prior.