Skip to content

Philippines Today

home of the Global Filipino

Menu
  • News Stories
  • Regional News
  • Business & Economy
  • Science & Technology
  • International
Menu

Minister admits gas storage facility could be cause of earth tremors off Spanish coast

Posted on October 3, 2013

MADRID, (PNA/Xinhua) — Spanish Minister for Industry, Energy and Tourism Jose Manuel Soria admitted Thursday that there could be a “direct relationship” between an undersea storage facility for natural gas and a series of earth tremors off the east coast of Spain.

A number of 23 tremors, the strongest measuring 4.1 magnitude on the Richter Scale, were registered in the Gulf of Valencia off the coast of the city of Castellon on Wednesday night.

The tremor of 4.1 magnitude happened at 23:30 local time, shortly after another shock of 3.9 points was registered at around 23:00, while the remaining tremors were between 1.8 and 2.9 magnitude, with the last registered at 5:09 a.m. on Thursday morning.

These tremors were all close to the underground natural gas storage facility, Castor, which is situated just off the coast.

Soria admitted the Castor facility could be a factor in provoking the tremors, although “there is still no scientific proof” that the injection of gas into the facility is the cause of the quakes.

The Castor project has seen the investment of 1.2 billion euros (about 1.63 U.S. dollars) in order to attempt to turn a former oil well 1,750 meters below sea level into a storage facility for natural gas.

The project aims to be able to supply around a third of the demand for natural gas for a period of 50 days.

A possible relation between the Castor facility and the seismic activity is currently being investigated by Spain’s National Geographical Institute, who have been at work since Sept. 26, 13 days after an injection of gas into the facility was followed by hundreds of low intensity earth tremors in the area.

It is suspected these are “induced tremors” provoked directly by the Castor project, although that has to be confirmed and any possible risks analyzed.

The tremor of 4.2 magnitude on Wednesday caused the Valencian regional government to put its “seismic risk” response plan into operation.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Related

News Categories

  • Announcement (34)
  • Business & Economy (1,567)
  • Comment and Opinion (74)
    • Random Thoughts (18)
  • Current Issues (425)
    • Charter Change (1)
    • Election (228)
    • Population (6)
  • International (389)
  • Life In Japan (66)
    • Everything Japan (41)
  • Literary (34)
  • Miscellaneous (610)
  • News Stories (5,312)
  • OFW Corner (297)
  • Others (75)
  • People (408)
  • Press Releases (163)
  • Regional News (3,362)
  • Science and Technology (502)
  • Sports & Entertainment (287)

Latest News

  • BSP keeps policy rates anew December 17, 2015
  • NEDA cuts PHL additional rice import for 2016 by 25% December 17, 2015
  • DA cites serious implications of banning genetically modified products December 17, 2015
  • BBL is not yet dead – Drilon December 17, 2015
  • Comelec recognizes Duterte’s CoC for president December 17, 2015
  • NEDA chief sees 2015 growth at 6% despite typhoons December 17, 2015
  • House of Representatives ratifies bicam report on P3.002-T national budget for 2016 December 17, 2015
  • Cebu-based developer invests PHP430M to build 709 townhouse units in north Cebu town December 17, 2015
  • City gov’t eyes P75-M income from economic enterprise December 17, 2015
  • Baguio City LGU presents traffic plan for holiday season December 17, 2015

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Science and Technology

  • DOST-ICTO targets 500,000 web-based workers from countryside by 2016
  • (Feature) STARBOOKS: A ‘makeover’ for librarians
  • Science, research reduce ‘cocolisap’ hotspot areas in PHL
  • Montejo to further improve PAGASA and empower scientists
  • 1st PPP in biomedical research produces knee replacement system fit for Asians

Press Releases

  • Microsoft to buy Nokia’s mobile devices business for 5.44-B euros
  • New World Bank climate change report should spur SEA and world leaders into action: Greenpeace
  • Save the Philippine Seas before it’s too late — Greenpeace
  • Palanca Awards’ last call for entries
  • Philippines joins the global call for Arctic protection

Comment and Opinion

  • Remembering the dead is a celebration of life
  • Killer earthquake unlikely to hit Panay Island in near future – analyst
  • It’s not just more fun to invest in the Philippines, it is also profitable, says President Aquino
  • How does one differentiate a tamaraw from a carabao?
  • Fun is not just about the place, it is also about the people, says DOT chief

OFW Corner

  • Ebola infection risk low in Croatia
  • Death toll rises to 41, over 100 still missing in landslide in India
  • Asbestos use in construction a labor hazard
  • 500,000 OFWs to benefit POEA on-line transactions — Baldoz
  • 25 distressed OFWs return home from Riyadh
©2025 Philippines Today | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme