Texas’ oil and gas regulator has idled two wells that send saltwater deep into the ground after a rash of earthquakes struck the Permian Basin this month.
The state Railroad Commission suspended permits for the disposal wells, which are operated by Gunn Oil and Sojourner Drilling, agency spokesperson Patty Ramon said Tuesday. Disposal wells are used to discard water that’s brought to the surface during oil and gas production.
Scurry County Judge Dan Hicks issued a disaster declaration Friday after the county recorded more than 60 earthquakes over the span of one week. In a post Monday on its Facebook page, the county said more than 50 reports of damage had been made.
“The permits for two deep wells, the only two deep wells within a 100-square mile area around the recent earthquakes, were suspended indefinitely,” Ramon said in a statement.
