Extended Agreement Secures Ongoing Seismicity Monitoring and Reporting
Vancouver, BC – December 14, 2023 – Seismic events related to natural gas development (hydraulic fracturing and wastewater disposal) will continue to be monitored and published in British Columbia’s Northeast Region thanks to the extension of a Geoscience BC and BC Oil and Gas Research and Innovation Society (BC OGRIS) funding partnership into 2024.
The BC Seismic Research Consortium (Consortium) has monitored and reported induced seismicity in Northeast BC for over 10 years. The Consortium manages a network of stations in the Horn River Basin and BC Montney Play area where seismic data is continuously collected and made publicly available. Annually, the Consortium publishes a report and a detailed record of all seismic events. The newly announced one-year funding extension will allow for continued monitoring, collection and publication of this critical seismic data that helps to improve understanding for enhanced practices, and mitigation.
Project partners include, the BC Energy Regulator (BCER), BC OGRIS, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and Geoscience BC. The Consortium also benefits from important in-kind technical and operational support from Natural Resources Canada through its Pacific Geoscience Centre. In continuing the Consortium, partners will be seeking long-term funding options to ensure continued monitoring beyond the extension period.
BCER ”British Columbia has an extensive seismic monitoring network in place thanks in large part to the work of the BC Seismic Research Consortium,” said Stu Venables, Supervisor, Energy Geoscience with the BCER. “As a regulator, we’re pleased to be a part of initiatives like this that help keep us at the forefront of seismicity oversight associated with unconventional gas development.”
BC OGRIS Program Manager Brian Thomson said: “BC OGRIS is proud to be a renewing funding partner of this long-standing consortium that brings scientists, industry and regulators together to monitor and analyze induced seismicity data. Transparency and improving the understanding and management of the impacts of oil and gas activities in BC are fundamental to BC OGRIS.”
CAPP VP Regulatory and Operations Richard Wong: “The BC Seismic Research Consortium is an important initiative that provides the public with confidence that induced seismicity is well managed and understood, and companies in the area with data they can use to continuously improve their operations. CAPP has been part of the consortium from the beginning, and we are pleased that this work continues.”
Geoscience BC Manager, Energy and Water Randy Hughes said: "The data provided by continued induced seismicity monitoring attributed to energy operations in Northeast BC is critical to conduct the research that can enhance mitigation measures and reduce risk. Geoscience BC is therefore pleased to announce the funding extension to the BC Seismic Research Consortium.”
Accessing information
To view past Seismic Research Consortium data and reports, visit the project page or view the project area on Geoscience BC's Earth Science Viewer online mapping application.
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Geoscience BC
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