MADRID (AP) Spain's industry minister says hundreds of minor earthquakes in recent weeks off the country's eastern coast appear to have been caused by work on a new large offshore gas storage plant.
The tremors are occurring just off the coast of Castellon city, an area Spain's College of Geologists says is not known for such seismic activity. Two of the biggest tremors, with magnitudes of more than 4.0, occurred this week.
Some tremors have been felt on land but none has caused any damage.
Minster Jose Manuel Soria said Thursday said there appeared to be a direct link between the quakes and injections of gas into rocks that form part of an underwater storage system for the Valencia region.
The ministry ordered all injections stopped last week while the phenomenon is investigated.
