The Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) ordered two disposal wells shut down and intake volume curtailments at another 19 after a pair of earthquakes struck northeast of Oklahoma City last week.

According to the OCC’s Oil and Gas Conservation Division (OGCD), the Oklahoma Geological Survey recorded earthquakes measuring 3.7 and 3.9 in magnitude on the Richter scale near Luther and Wellston, OK, on Aug. 16 and 17. OGCD ordered two wells located within a three-mile radius of the epicenter of the two quakes to cease operations by Aug. 25, and 19 wells within a 10-mile radius to operate at or below the latest reported 30-day average volume.

OGCD also ordered affected operators to install gauges and flow meters on their wells, if they have not already done so, before Aug. 25, and to begin recording daily volumes and pressures every Monday on a weekly basis.

The two wells ordered shut in are the Threatt 18-3 well operated by Hulen Operating Co., and the B. Smith 31 well operated by New Dominion LLC. The 19 wells where input volumes were ordered curtailed are operated by EOK Operating LLC, Marjo Operating Mid-Continent LLC, Midstates Petroleum Co. LLC, Moran-K Oil LLC, New Dominion, Special Energy Corp., Sundown Energy LP, Territory Resources LLC, Ventura Energy Services LLC and Xanadu Exploration Co.

Since the beginning of the year, OCC has ordered operators of wastewater injection wells targeting the Arbuckle Formation to cease or curtail their operations.

Last February, OGCD unveiled its Western Regional Reduction Plan, which called for a nearly 500,000 b/d reduction in wastewater injection volumes (see Shale Daily,Feb. 17). One month later, the agency released its Central Oklahoma Volume Reduction Plan, which called for a 300,000 b/d reduction in injection volumes (see Shale Daily, March 7).