Various concerns have been raised about the potential
environmental and geologic effects from the use of fluid injection
for hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking". Fracking is used
for the development of previously unrecoverable shale gas, coalbed
methane, and other hydrocarbons. These concerns are often focused
on the source of the water used in the fracking operation (the
process often requires the use of tens of thousands of cubic metres
of water per well) and potential contamination from the use and
disposal of fracking fluid. However, concerns have also been
expressed about the potential for fracking to cause seismic
events.
On August 30, 2012, the British Columbia (BC) Oil and Gas
Commission (Commission) released a report that found that fracking
in proximity to pre-existing faults was the cause of hundreds of
low level seismic events in the Horn River Basin in northeast BC.
The Horn River Basin is one of BC's primary shale gas plays.
The Commission's conclusion
