WEST TEXAS-NEW MEXICO SEISMICITY: INDUCED AND NATURAL SEQUENCES ALONG OLD TECTONIC FEATURES

We utilize Transportable Array data to survey regional seismicity in West Texas, including the Permian Basin and Texas Panhandle. Through analyst review and a waveform-matching technique, we identify earthquakes occurring in early 2008 through 2011. Significant seismicity occurred near the North Texas border with New Mexico and may have a natural tectonic origin. In addition to this diffuse clustering, a number of events and clusters appear to be adjacent to areas of active hydrocarbon recovery efforts throughout the Permian Basin and West Texas. Work is underway to deduce possible causes of those seismic events by comparing event catalogs with regulatory filings, including investigating the possibility that the seismicity is natural. The results of this study highlight the continued need for more extensive seismic monitoring in the central and eastern US. In addition, this work provides a baseline seismicity assessment for future monitoring efforts by the State of Texas.