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Radulian: Oil exploitations have no influence on seismic activity in Galati area; the cause is of tectonic nature
The oil exploitations in Galati area (eastern Romania) have no influence on the seismic activity in the respective area, the cause being of a tectonic nature, National Institute for Earth's Physics (INFP) scientific director Mircea Radulian said at the end of a meeting with specialists in the field on Monday.
According to the cited source, the seismic activity in Galati County is still ongoing.
'At present, we cannot specify how long it will last and what earthquakes are expected in the area. We are still waiting for this phenomenon going on in the respective area to cease,' Radulian said.
Concerning the possibility of some oil exploitations in the area leading to this seismic activity in Galati County (Isvoarele - Hanu Conachi area), the INFP scientific director said there were no elements leading to such a correlation, in the conditions in which OMV Petrom used standard procedures for the extractions, procedures employed on a wide part of Romania's territory.
Mircea Radulian pointed out that no correlations could be made between the seismic activity in Vrancea area (eastern Romania) and that in Galati County, either.
'Referring to a possible correlation between the activity in Vrancea area - as we know, there has been that earthquake of 5.5 degrees on the Richter scale [on Sunday, at 4:37] - and the earthquakes in Galati area, taking into account the big depth and distance difference between the two areas, as well as the tectonic differences existing between the two areas. We cannot say we have elements leading to a correlation between the two activities,' the National Institute for Earth's Physics scientific director pointed out.
In his opinion, in Galati area, the cause of the seismic activity over the past 2-3 weeks is of tectonic nature.
About the risk of occurring a powerful earthquake in Galati area, the seismologist said that it was a small one, but that in Vrancea area the risk was higher.
'We all know, though, that it is an area presenting a quite high seismic risk, but we should not think that we necessarily expect an earthquake in Vrancea area now,' Radulian also added.
In another train of thought, the specialists confirmed that in Galati area the landslide phenomenon could reappear. This phenomenon occurred a few years ago in the respective area. According to seismologists, in the coming days, other specialists will go to Galati area to monitor the seismic phenomenon there.
A meeting of seismologists took place at INFP on Monday, on the seismic activity in Galati County. Representatives of the Education Ministry, the National Research Institute for Earth's Physics, the Romanian Geological Institute, the Faculty of Geology and Geodesy, the Oil and Gas University of Ploiesti, the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the Technical University of Constructions Bucharest, as well as representatives of the Development Ministry also participated in the meeting. Moreover, OMV Petrom company representatives were invited to the meeting, to supply technical details connected with the oil exploitations the company is conducting in Galati area.
Mysterious earthquake swarm damages many villages in Galati, Eastern Romania
For a couple of weeks, an unusual earthquake swarm is going on in Eastern Romania, close to Moldovia border. Galati is the province where the earthquakes are happening. The Galati area experienced dozens of earthquakes up to a Magnitude of 3.8 (last one just before writing this article). The quakes have an extremely shallow depth, have a relatively high shaking intensity and are causing a lot of damage in the villages near the epicenter areas (the epicenters have to be situated in an area of many kms and not in one location).Some people are not waiting for more earthquakes and left their houses due do the damage, fearing a collapse if further quakes would strike.
Galati is a region with relatively low seismic activity and earthquake swarms like the current events are only known from the newspapers in other regions / countries (ER could trace some unconfirmed reports that a number of earthquakes occurred in March 1894!).
Residents and seismologists are very surprised and are trying to understand what is happening. Oil extraction and floodings where initially mentioned as possible triggers but these reasons cannot explain why some other phenomenons like : a constant sound like “boiling water” (coming from the ground) and a strange water smell (like sulfur) is being noticed.Another reason the people are scared of are the big cracks appearing in the ground.
There is no question that the seismic activity is caused by flood or oil exploitation,” said Mihnea Costoiu, Minister for Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technological Development. Scientists are saying that there was surely no big historic earthquake in the Galati area.
According to earthquake-report.com, although scientists are absolutely not sure about what will happening in the near future, they are trying to prevent panic in the affected villages.