3 Earthquakes Rattle West Texas on Tuesday

ORLA, TEXAS — A remote area of West Texas experienced three earthquakes Tuesday, Aug. 6.

All three were recorded as 2.8-magnitude earthquakes in a span of 64 minutes between 7:39 a.m. and 8:43 a.m.

The area is about 30 miles south of the New Mexico border — roughly between the town of Pecos in West Texas and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.

Texans around the state have felt numerous earthquakes in recent weeks, including a 5.1-magnitude quake July 26 outside Snyder that was the sixth-strongest in Texas history.

The Texas Railroad Commission said last week that inspectors were examining saltwater disposal wells in Camp Springs along the Fisher-Scurry County line, about 10 miles east of Snyder.

Disposal wells are used to dispose of produced water, which is water that is expelled from wells during oil and gas production.

The RRC said two deep disposal wells have been shut in, and seismic activity is being monitored as next steps are considered.

The RRC has investigated disposal wells as the cause of West Texas earthquakes over the past few years and has taken action in several counties.