{"title":"Injection-Related Hazards in the Permian Basin as Characterized by Spaceborne InSAR and In Situ Measurements","authors":"M. S. Zebker, K. Smye, J. Chen, P. Hennings","doi":"10.1029/2025GL115231","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Wastewater injection in Texas has led to leakage at compromised wells and anomalous seismicity. We use Sentinel-1 Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) surface deformation maps and a suite of ground measurements to characterize injection-related hazards. In Crane County, we measure <span></span><math>\n <semantics>\n <mrow>\n <mo>∼</mo>\n </mrow>\n <annotation> ${\\sim} $</annotation>\n </semantics></math>53 cm of uplift in a 5 <span></span><math>\n <semantics>\n <mrow>\n <msup>\n <mtext>km</mtext>\n <mn>2</mn>\n </msup>\n </mrow>\n <annotation> ${\\text{km}}^{2}$</annotation>\n </semantics></math> region from January 2021 to October 2023 followed by <span></span><math>\n <semantics>\n <mrow>\n <mo>∼</mo>\n </mrow>\n <annotation> ${\\sim} $</annotation>\n </semantics></math>10 cm of subsidence from November 2023 to September 2024, associated with a well blowout. In Ward County, we show that well leakage may occur in regions that experience subsidence, because production-induced subsidence can offset injection-induced uplift. In Andrews County, <span></span><math>\n <semantics>\n <mrow>\n <mo>></mo>\n </mrow>\n <annotation> ${ >} $</annotation>\n </semantics></math>10 cm/yr uplift patterns can be observed due to injection in Texas, which induced seismicity in the neighboring state, New Mexico. Near real-time InSAR observations are now regularly used to inform environmental hazards due to wastewater injection.</p>","PeriodicalId":12523,"journal":{"name":"Geophysical Research Letters","volume":"52 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2025GL115231","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Geophysical Research Letters","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL115231","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Wastewater injection in Texas has led to leakage at compromised wells and anomalous seismicity. We use Sentinel-1 Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) surface deformation maps and a suite of ground measurements to characterize injection-related hazards. In Crane County, we measure 53 cm of uplift in a 5 region from January 2021 to October 2023 followed by 10 cm of subsidence from November 2023 to September 2024, associated with a well blowout. In Ward County, we show that well leakage may occur in regions that experience subsidence, because production-induced subsidence can offset injection-induced uplift. In Andrews County, 10 cm/yr uplift patterns can be observed due to injection in Texas, which induced seismicity in the neighboring state, New Mexico. Near real-time InSAR observations are now regularly used to inform environmental hazards due to wastewater injection.
期刊介绍:
Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) publishes high-impact, innovative, and timely research on major scientific advances in all the major geoscience disciplines. Papers are communications-length articles and should have broad and immediate implications in their discipline or across the geosciences. GRLmaintains the fastest turn-around of all high-impact publications in the geosciences and works closely with authors to ensure broad visibility of top papers.