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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 72–130

Earthquakes in the Oil Field at Rangely, Colorado

By James F. Gibbs, John H. Healy, C. Barry Raleigh, and John Coakley

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (7 MB)Abstract

Seven years of seismic data recorded at the Uinta Basin Observatory were searched for earthquakes originating near an oil field at Rangely, Colorado, located 65 km ESE of the observatory. Changes in the number of earthquakes recorded per year appear to correlate with changes in the quantity of fluid injected per year. Between November 1962 and January 1970, 976 earthquakes were detected near the oil field by the UBO station; 320 earthquakes were larger than magnitude 1.

Richter magnitudes are estimated from both S-wave and P-wave measurements and a method based on the duration of the seismic signal is used to estimate the magnitude of the larger shocks. The two largest shocks had magnitudes of 3.4 and 3.3. The total seismic energy released was l0l7 ergs. During this same period the energy used for water injection, measured at the wellhead, was 1021 ergs.

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For additional information:
Contact Information, Earthquake Science Center, Menlo Park Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
345 Middlefield Road, MS 977
Menlo Park, California 94025
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

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Suggested citation:

James F. Gibbs, John H. Healy, C. Barry Raleigh, and John Coakley, 1972, Earthquakes in the oil field at Rangely, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 72–130, 48 p. , available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1972/0130/ .



Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Uinta Basin Obervatory

Rangely Oilfield

USGS Network

Seismic Interpretation

Magnitude Determinations

Magnitudes Reported by UBO

ML Estimated from Coda Length

Energy

References

one appendix


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