FORT ST. JOHN -- A moderate sized earthquake struck the Peace Region over the weekend.
According to Earthquake Canada, the 4.4 magnitude quake struck near Wonowon on Saturday at 4:21am.
The quake struck at a depth on 3 kilometres. The are fracking operations nearby. BC's Energy Regulator has confirmed the earthquake was caused by oil and gas opertions in the area.
"Following the event, the operator, ConocoPhillips Canada, immediately suspended hydraulic fracturing operations.Those operations remain suspended and will not resume until further measures are put in place and a plan is submitted to the BCER, focused on mitigating future seismic events," said the Energy Regulator in a statement.
The BCER has advised the company to engage Wonowon residents about the events and the company is actively working on its engagement strategy.
There is no reports of damage. Due to the shallow nature of the quake, a slight shaking could only be felt near the epi-centre.
One of the largest earthquakes to hit the Peace Region occured near Wonowon in January 2023.
Seismologists from Earthquakes Canada confirmed that 4.5 magnitude quake was also industry-related, caused by fracking-related activity.
