A series of at least 11 earthquakes occurred in far west Texas in the past week in Loving and Winkler counties of the Permian Basin. Since April 24 there have been 11 quakes of at least 2.5 magnitude, including four of at least 3.0 magnitude.
Justin Rubinstein of the U.S. Geological Society told the Midland Reporter Telegram, “It’s hard to say the cause of these specific earthquakes right now, but within the broader Permian Basin there has been a dramatic increase in earthquakes going back to 2015 with the rate really increasing beginning in 2020. This includes four magnitude 5+ earthquakes… Most of the earthquakes in the Permian are caused by wastewater disposal from oil and gas production in the area, although some seismicity is caused by hydraulic fracturing.”