Edit: Fervo energy is using the same exact techniques used by oil/gas for the hydraulic fracturing so yes the risk exists, but they didn't run into any issues.

Edit: Fervo energy is using the same exact techniques used by oil/gas for the hydraulic fracturing so yes the risk exists, but they didn't run into any issues. Seismic risk is typically highest near water disposal wells, which continuously inject water at high rates (>10000 bbl/d). These geothermal wells were fractured once, and whatever is injected is produced a few hours later (no net increase of volume after the initial frac job). From the white paper (https://eartharxiv.org/repository/object/5704/download/11142/ https://eartharxiv.org/repository/object/5704/download/11142...) - "Prior to starting the operations phase of this project, a preliminary screening assessment was performed to evaluate the potential risk of induced seismicity at the project site. We followed the guidelines outlined by the US Department of Energy’s Protocol for Addressing Induced Seismicity Associated with Enhanced Geothermal Systems (Majer et al. 2012). Based on our analysis, we developed and implemented a Traffic Light System (TLS) to mitigate the risk of potential induced seismicity associated with the project. The TLS system was in effect throughout all major phases of the project from July 2020 through June 2023, including drilling, completions, stimulation, and well testing. All observed seismicity fell within the Green TLS protocol, with no significant impact or incident throughout the full duration of the project."