The Oil and Gas Commission voted unanimously to natural gas drilling disposal well and ban others in an area where hundreds of small earthquakes have occurred. The Commission also voted unanimously to establish a moratorium on future disposal well in a 1,150-square-mile that includes Faulkner, Cleburne, Van Buren, Conway and White Counties.
The commission met Wednesday in El Dorado. The commission decided 6-0 to close a well run by Deep-Six Water Disposal Services between Greenbrier and Enola. It then voted 7-0 to ban any future wells in a 1,150-square-mile area around Greenbrier and Guy.
The commission staff says four wells in the area were contributing to the earthquakes. Companies operating three of the wells have shut them down — but the Democrat-Gazette reports that Deep-Six says its well between Greenbrier and Enola isn’t causing the earthquakes.
Commissioner Mike Wells says he’s obligated to keep the public safe.
