5.1 magnitude Quake Strikes Near Fairview

One of the strongest earthquakes in more than a few years in Oklahoma struck Saturday morning in Major County. It measured 5.1 magnitude and according to the U.S. Geological Survey struck at 11:07 a.m. and its epicenter was located 17 miles northwest of Fairview, 44 miles west of Enid and 39 miles east of Woodward.

The USGS said it was less than a mile deep and was felt in Texas, Kansas which was just a few miles away at the state line, Arkansas and other states. The USGS said the quake started only 1.2 miles below ground level. The quake was felt easily in Wichita, Kansas and in Oklahoma City. It lasted for nearly 10 seconds in the Yukon area.

Numerous earthquakes have been reported around Fairview over the past few months. One of the strongest was 4.8 magnitude in January. It came at a time when 32 earthquakes were recorded over a few days.

The strong quakes in January prompted the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to order a shutdown of several wastewater injection wells in the Alva, Cherokee and Fairview region. The order also prompted SandRidge Energy to balk at shutting down some of its wells, an act that lasted a few weeks before the energy company reached an agreement with the state agency.