29-06-06 A University of California researcher has said that tremblers can be used to harness easier extraction of oil from the earth's surface.
Emily Brodsky, an Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, claimed that shaking from seismic waves that knock down buildings and people, can also increase the permeability of rock to groundwater and other fluids, and this enhanced permeability can potentially help to extract oil from natural reservoirs.
"Permeability governs how fluid flows through rocks, whether it's water or oil, so this has practical implications for oil extraction," Brodsky was quoted as saying.

The study is based on two decades of data collected from the Pion Flat Observatory in southern California. Brodsky and his research colleagues analyzed the data in relation to earthquakes and saw a striking correlation.
"Every time there's a big earthquake in southern California, the permeability jumps. We saw this in two different wells for more than seven different earthquakes," Brodsky said.

The oil industry might be able to exploit this phenomenon by using "vibroseis" trucks to send seismic waves into the ground.
Currently used for seismic imaging studies, vibroseis trucks vibrate at a particular frequency for a prolonged period.