Another Permian Quake Spurs Reappraisal of Frack Waste Disposal

The shale industry is open to reducing underground storage of drilling waste and other measures to reduce earthquake risks after a 5.4-magnitude temblor rattled the Permian Basin.

The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state’s massive oil and natural gas industry, is probing disposal of saltwater left over from fracking, which occurs in the Permian region of West Texas and New Mexico more than anywhere in the world.

Quakes have been reported across Texas and Oklahoma for years in relation to the disposal of drilling wastewater in rocks close to fault lines. In response to Friday evening’s quake, the ...