TEHRAN - Seven earthquakes with magnitudes in between 4 and 5 in the southern Persian Gulf and the Saudi Arabia-Qatar border in between 1st of March and 5th of April 2025 most likely represent links between hydrocarbon extraction and seismicity due to the generation of earthquakes due to oil and gas production near an active basement fault in the Saudi-Qatar border area.Hydrocarbon extraction for oil and gas production can change subsurface tension fields and possibly reactivate faults.The Arabian plate experienced substantial seismic activity in between 2024 and 2025, affected by its tectonic interactions with the Eurasian, African (Nubian), and Indian plates.The Arabian Plate is moving northeast (~ 1.5-2 cm/yr) and collides with Eurasia, forming the Zagros Mountains, and slides westward along the Dead Sea Transverse Fault (DST) past the African Plate.Subduction takes place beneath the Makran Range (southern Iran/Pakistan), and opening happens in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.Deep faults in the crystalline basement rock (in the Arabian Plate) are sensitive to changes in tension.
This region lies on the Arabian Plate and has actually underground faults associated with the Zagros orogeny and the Red Sea rifting.The Ghawar Hydrocarbon Field (Saudi Arabia) and the Shemal Gas Field (Qatar) are amongst the biggest hydrocarbon tanks in the world.
A few of the faults in the area are extremely stressed, suggesting that even little changes in pressure can trigger slip.Seven earthquakes in March-April 2025 Increased production/injection with increased extraction or wastewater disposal (e.g., from fracturing or increased oil recovery) destabilizes a nearby fault.If operations take place near a strike-slip or reverse fault, stress transfer can trigger moderate earthquakes (M4-M6).
In some cases, induced earthquakes take place months or years after operations begin due to progressive tension changes.There have been no major documented cases of moderate earthquake-induced seismicity reported in Saudi Arabia/Qatar, but there is a threat of induced seismicity when exploration and extraction operations interrupt stressed out faults.Mild to moderate earthquakes (M3-M5): Can damage infrastructure, pipelines or overseas platforms.
Bigger earthquakes (M6+): Possible if a major bedrock fault reactivates, posturing a threat to cities such as Dammam or Doha.While the Saudi Arabia-Qatar area has not yet knowledgeable significant earthquakes, the mix of active subsurface faults and intense hydrocarbon activity increases this threat.
The occasions in March-April 2025 were possible if production/injection operations were to interfere with a critical stress fault.
Tracking and danger assessment are critical to prevent such scenarios.The tectonic seismic framework of eastern Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain is characterized by intricate interactions in between numerous tectonic plates, primarily the Arabian Plate and the surrounding Eurasian and African Plates.
The region experiences seismic activity due to its geological area involving significant fault systems and oil and gas production activities.The eastern Saudi Arabia region, including Qatar and Bahrain, lies along the Arabian Plate border.
The Arabian Plate is moving northward relative to the Iran-Eurasian Plate at a rate of around 20 mm/yr.
This motion leads to compressive forces that generate seismic activity in the region.The area is cut by crucial fault systems, such as the Dead Sea Transverse Fault on the western border to the north and different strike-slip faults associated with the Zagros Mountains to the northeast.
These faults accommodate motion in between plates.
Earthquakes in this area can be credited to both natural tectonic processes and anthropogenic factors related to oil extraction activities.The region is characterized by several crucial geological features, consisting of active basement faults that play an important role in the tectonic and seismic habits of the area.
In the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia Several smaller sized but important faults have been determined.
The Al-Hasa Fault lies near Al-Hasa Oasis and has been associated with historic seismic events.The Qatif Fault, located near Qatif, has actually revealed indications of activity and might affect local seismicity.
The Qatar Arc is a structure that affects the subsurface geology of Qatar.
The formation of this structural arc, which becomes part of the bigger Qatar-Kazerun basement structure, results in localized stress concentration along existing faults.Earthquakes frequently happen in clusters or sequences due to stress accumulation along these faults.
Historic records indicate that while big earthquakes are reasonably rare, smaller sized tremors are common due to ongoing tectonic processes.Historical data indicate that earthquakes in this region often take place in clusters or series instead of as isolated occasions, showing a complicated interaction in between local geological structures.Hydrocarbon extraction in eastern Saudi Arabia is connected with induced seismicity.Oil extraction processes can result in changes in subsurface pressure conditions, possibly setting off and triggering small earthquakes.
Seismic occasions have been taped near major oil fields such as Ghawar, where fluid extraction may impact local stress conditions.The Saudi Arabian Geological Survey and Iranian Seismic Network actively monitor seismic activity in Oil production locations.
Data from these monitoring efforts show a correlation in between periods of intense hydrocarbon extraction and increased seismic occasions.
Earthquakes in this zone raise issues about the safety of facilities and the long-lasting sustainability of oil production practices in this seismically active region.The tectonic structure of eastern Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain is shaped by complicated plate interactions that result in substantial seismic activity driven by natural tectonic processes and anthropogenic elements resulting from oil and gas production.
Continuous tracking is vital to comprehend these characteristics and mitigate the threats connected with seismic dangers in this economically important region.