Globe & Mail: Fracking caused many low-level earthquakes in B.C., probe finds

The controversial drilling practice known as fracking has caused scores of low-level earthquakes in British Columbia's Horn River Basin, the region rich in shale gas, a new report finds.

These caused no damage or injuries, and only one was felt on the surface near pre-existing faults. Still, a recent probe into the quakes could well provide ammunition to those opposed to this method of drilling for natural gas.

Fracking, also known in the industry as fracing, is hydraulic fracturing, using water, sand and chemicals or gases to burst underground rock formations, pushing natural gas to the surface. The practice has been a boon to the energy sector.

It is highly controversial, and was linked to two minor earthquakes in Britain last year.

Now, a report released recently by the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission sheds light on the huge shale gas deposits in northeastern B.C. Quakes recorded by Natural Resources Canada ranged from 2.2 to 3.8 on the Richter scale, below the 4 mark and thus deemed minor.

"The investigation has concluded that the events observed within remote and isolated areas of the Horn River Basin between 2009 and 2011 were caused by fluid injection during hydraulic fracturing in proximity to pre-existing faults," the commission said in its report.   MORE

Read the Report from the British Columbia Oil & Gas Commission HERE