Protecting Communities from Earthquakes Caused by Fracking in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta Basin

This Friend of the Court submission (called an “Amicus Curiae”) was prepared by Dr. Ryan Schultz, a seismologist and senior researcher at the Swiss Seismological Service at ETH Zürich for the Supreme Court of Argentina.

It provides his scientific opinion linking earthquakes to hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas — commonly known as “fracking” — in the Vaca Muerta Basin, one of the world’s largest shale oil and gas reserves in Neuquén, Argentina.

Dr. Schultz’s report also provides good practice guidelines for managing these “induced seismicity” risks, drawing from his professional work on hydraulic fracturing cases in North America and elsewhere.

Earthjustice is supporting the work of our partners in Argentina to bolster the rights of local communities and reduce harms from oil and gas development.