A hydraulic fracturing site was closed after the earthquake struck Fox Creek, Alta.

A hydraulic fracturing operation near the Fox Creek community in northwestern Alberta has been shut down after an earthquake last week.

The quake, which was recorded Friday afternoon about 35 kilometers southwest of the city, prompted the closure of a nearby drilling site and an investigation by the Alberta Energy Regulatory Authority.

According to Canadian Natural Resources, the earthquake was recorded just before 4:30 p.m. at a depth of 5.8 kilometers. An initial strength of 4.4 was recorded.

There were no reports of injuries or property damage, and residents of Fox Creek, a town located about 265 kilometers northwest of Edmonton, likely did not feel the quake.

Cygnet Energy, a small Calgary-based company, reported the quake near one of its well sites, the TRA said.

The company was scheduled to halt all operations on the well pad and did so safely, the regulator said.

Federal researchers believe the quake was caused by industrial activity.

Brindley Smith, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, said the quake may have been caused by hydraulic fracturing operations prevalent in the area.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a natural gas extraction method that involves injecting fluids into a well under high pressure to fracture gas-bearing rock and release the gas inside.

This practice puts stress on fault lines in the Earth's crust and can cause them to slide.

“This is an area where you could have industrial activity like fracking or injecting wastewater, and that could trigger earthquakes,” Smith said in an interview Tuesday.

“Fox Creek has long been well known as an area of ​​induced seismic activity.”

Friday's earthquake is the latest in a series of tremors recorded in the region.

In a radius of 50 kilometers around the epicenter of Friday's earthquake, 25 seismic events have been recorded since the beginning of this year.

“It seems like it's picked up and I expect that's because they're probably ramping up activity in the area,” Smith said.

“It could be something we might see die down again in just a matter of weeks. It's hard for us to say because we can't really predict how the activity will play out.”

The investigation is ongoing

Under Alberta's traffic light system to prevent industry-triggered earthquakes, the Energy Regulatory Authority automatically shuts down a fracking site when an earthquake of magnitude 4.0 or higher strikes the area where the company operates.

Operations cannot be resumed without regulatory approval.

Cygnet Energy has not yet commented.

The AER said it will work with scientists at the Alberta Geological Survey to investigate the matter.

The event is likely to spark renewed research into the quake's possible connection to past populations and industrial activity in the region, said Jeff Gu, a geophysicist at the University of Alberta.

After years of relative calm, seismic activity around Fox Creek has increased.

“There will be studies focusing on this particular event,” Joe said. “It's a big force, but certainly not the biggest we've seen in Alberta.”

The Fox Creek area and earthquakes caused by hydraulic fracturing have long been the focus of researchers and regulators in Alberta.

Fracking has been linked to most of the large earthquakes Alberta has seen in recent decades.

One of the largest of those storms in 2016 occurred west of Fox Creek, reaching a magnitude of 4.8. The earthquake was so strong that it was felt by residents of St. Albert, 280 kilometers away.

Alberta was historically quiet in terms of seismic activity before fracking activity began to ramp up. Fox Creek recorded several notable first gatherings, Gu said.

Those gatherings have led to changes in Alberta's regulatory system and extensive research aimed at managing the risks of tremors caused by the industry, Gu said.

“Fox Creek is actually one of the first notable areas in Alberta that really alerted people to the issue of induced earthquakes,” Joe said.

“Fox Creek was kind of the catalyst.”

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos