Undersea Resource Development, Could It Lead to Earthquakes?
Correlation Still Under Active Domestic and International Research
Some Gas Fields Closed Due to Earthquake Concerns
An anonymous Seoul city official sparked controversy by claiming on the anonymous online community for office workers, 'Blind,' that "if oil drilling in the East Sea is not stopped, an earthquake will occur." The correlation between offshore resource development and earthquakes is a topic still under research both domestically and internationally.
On the 13th, a post titled "The Reason Why We Must Stop Oil Drilling in the East Sea" was uploaded on Blind. The author of the post is Mr. A, a public official working in Seoul.
Mr. A said, "Do you remember how the whole nation was shocked by the earthquake in Jeonbuk recently? That was a magnitude 4.8," adding, "But drilling in the East Sea involves penetrating the ground and extracting the liquid inside. The ground remains intact, but the oil that was supporting it underneath is being removed."
He continued, "The ground beneath could collapse, causing a bigger earthquake. If we don't stop this, our country will no longer be an earthquake-safe zone but will suffer from strong earthquakes of magnitude 7 to 8 or higher for life," he claimed.
Blind users generally responded skeptically to Mr. A's claims. Sharp comments followed, such as "Is it okay for a public official to post something like this?", "He talks as if he knows everything without being an oil expert," and "If the oil is removed, wouldn't seawater flow in?"
Currently, the government has approved oil exploration drilling off the coast of Yeongil Bay in Pohang. It is estimated that more than 3 billion barrels of oil and gas are buried there. However, some express concerns that drilling operations could weaken the ground and lead to earthquakes.
So, does offshore resource development actually increase the risk of earthquakes? Earthquakes caused by underground or offshore resource development are commonly referred to as "induced earthquakes." The correlation between resource development and earthquakes remains a subject of ongoing research in many countries, with no definitive conclusions yet.
However, there are real cases where gas fields were shut down due to earthquake concerns. In April, the Dutch government signed a bill to permanently halt gas drilling in the northern Groningen region. Groningen was the largest natural gas extraction site and export hub in the Netherlands for decades. But after 38 years of drilling, about 1,600 small and large earthquakes occurred, leading to its eventual closure.
The hydraulic fracturing method, commonly known as 'fracking,' involves attaching special explosives to the end of drilling equipment and detonating them to create elongated holes in hard ground. [Image source=Captured from SM Energy Company's YouTube]
The "shale gas," which instantly turned the United States into an energy-exporting country, is also often cited as a major cause of induced earthquakes. Shale gas is extracted using a unique hydraulic fracturing method that involves fracturing hard ground with special explosives and then blasting powerful water jets to carve out pathways for the gas to flow. However, concerns have always been raised that this process weakens the ground and causes subsidence. Similarly, in the UK, shale gas exploration using hydraulic fracturing was halted due to earthquake concerns.
Voices from the political sphere are also calling for securing earthquake safety measures before developing offshore resources in Yeongil Bay. On the 10th, Oh Jung-gi, the Democratic Party's Pohang Buk-gu district committee chairman, held a press conference at Pohang City Hall, stating, "Due to the fault structure characteristics of Yeongil Bay, there is a possibility of earthquakes occurring during drilling operations," and urged, "We absolutely oppose drilling without verification."
Experts acknowledge the possibility of earthquakes but consider the likelihood of severe strong earthquakes to be low. Professor Kim Kwang-hee, a domestic earthquake expert at Pusan National University, said in an interview with Yonhap News on the 4th, "It is necessary to conduct investigations and preparations assuming the possibility of earthquakes," but added, "Even if a large earthquake occurs, if the distance is far, the vibrations will not cause damage. Since the estimated oil and gas deposits are far from the land, there is no need to be prematurely alarmed."
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