EARTHQUAKE SHAKES TOWN NEAR OIL HUB

CUSHING, OKLA. A sharp earthquake centred near one of the world’s key oil hubs Sunday night triggered fears that the magnitude 5.0 temblor might have damaged key infrastructure in addition to damaging buildings in an Oklahoma prairie town.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the state’s Geological Survey sent investigators to the town soon after the quake, which struck at 7:44 p.m. local time and was felt as far away as Iowa, Illinois and Texas.

“At this time we are uncertain of the consequences,” a commission spokesman said. “Our assessment of the infrastructure continues.”

Oklahoma has had thousands of earthquakes in recent years, with nearly all traced to the underground injection of wastewater left over from oil and gas fracking production.

Sunday’s quake occurred less than two kilometres from Cushing and 40 km from the site of a magnitude 4.3 quake that forced a shutdown of several wells last week.

Cushing police reported “quite of bit of damage” from the earthquake.

Cushing, population 8,000, bills itself as the “Pipeline Crossroads of the World.”