Oklahoma oil operations resume after earthquake

CUSHING, Okla. – State regulators in Oklahoma said normal operations have resumed at the Cushing oil storage terminal after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake struck Sunday night.

Oklahoma Corporation Commission spokesman Matt Skinner said pipelines are operating Monday at the storage terminal, which is one of the world’s key oil hubs. Cushing is located about 50 miles northeast of Oklahoma City and bills itself the “Pipeline Crossroads of the World.”

Skinner said state regulators are also reviewing whether to shut down or restrict activity at some disposal wells, where wastewater from oil and gas production is injected. Scientists have linked the practice to the increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma in recent years.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation said crews have inspected 110 bridges within a 30-mile radius of the quake’s epicenter and found no damage.

An official said 40 to 50 buildings in Cushing, Oklahoma, sustained “substantial damage” in the earthquake.

Cushing City Manager Steve Spears said Monday that the damage from the magnitude 5.0 earthquake includes cracks in buildings and fallen bricks and facades. He said access to the worst-hit areas remains restricted as crews continue to assess the damage.

No major injuries have been reported.