Investigators hone in on nearly 3-mile stretch for cause of 100+ West Texas earthquakes
HERMLEIGH – The Texas Railroad Commission said inspectors are examining saltwater disposal wells within a 2.5-mile stretch where a bevy of earthquakes have stunned West Texas residents.
According to the RRC, the earthquakes happened this week in Camp Springs along the Fisher-Scurry County line.
"In efforts to reduce seismicity possibly caused by underground injection of produced water, several operators in the area have converted deep saltwater disposal wells to shallow saltwater disposal wells within the last year," the agency that regulates oil, gas, and coal in Texas said in a statement.
The RRC said two deep disposal wells have been shut in. The state agency said seismic activity is being monitored as the next steps are considered.
Last week, Scurry County Judge Dan Hicks officially declared a disaster as a result of the quakes and urgently requested assistance from the state.
Don Deville lives near the epicenter of the earthquakes in Hermleigh on Highway 180. The 69-year-old, who first worked as a police officer before working with the railroad for 37 years, put his investigative skills to work.
He mapped out oil and saltwater disposal wells near his and his wife's 155-acre property. Deville also compared seismic activity between May-June and July 15-30 this year. 2024 trounced the previous year.
"This is a man-made problem. This problem is made by the greed of man. I'm thoroughly convinced of that," Deville said.
The RRC said the disposal wells inject mineralized water produced by oil and gas into the designated areas into the ground. But Deville suspects maybe too much is being put in. That's what investigators are trying to determine because of more than 100 earthquakes in two weeks.
"I mean, it's every day, every day, several of them, four, five, six a day," Deville said.
The retiree said the earth-shaking events have been jarring for him and his wife. So far, the largest one happened Friday, July 26.
"It was about nine something in the morning," he said. "I just sat down in my Lazy Boy to drink my morning juice after feeding my horse and stuff-- and it turned the Lazy Boy over."
According to Deville, he's seen the earthquake tips. But he said the violent shakes happen so quickly it's hard to think or get in place to protect himself. He fears his home caving in on him.
"You don't know what to do because you've got that fear, but 10, 15 seconds is all you have," he said.
The husband and father said an earthquake occurred in his pasture over the weekend. He's been talking to the RRC about his family's safety and concerns.
"I mean, the earthquakes are getting bigger. They went from ones to twos to threes to fours. Now we're into fives. What's going to happen when we get a six?"
There is damage inside his home, like cracks along the ceiling and nails pushing through the roof in a closet. Outside, a shift is visible from the porch and cracks around the sides of the house. He believes there could be damage to his septic line.
His friend Joe Hodge has had similar damage to his ceiling in multiple rooms. Hodge and his wife have cracks harvesting more space on the outside of their home with each earthquake.
Neither Hodge nor Deville will invest in repairs until the ground events stop because they believe it wastes time and money.
The Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEP) said it received 85 submissions regarding the ongoing earthquakes. TDEP remains in assessment mode, but none of the damage has risen to the level of calling in disaster assistance from the federal government.
Deville said he and his wife hope to sell their property to move closer to their daughters. They've had their fill of earthquakes, and he wonders if anyone will want the land.
"We've got this place for sale and had it for sale for several months," he said. "Who's going to buy it now?"
