The possible environmental effects on fracking exploration of gas in South Africa.

The Possible environmental effects on fracking exploration of gas in South Africa’s Karoo region.

In 2009, petroleum agency South Africa granted permission to shell to conduct an assessment of shale resources in the karoo basin, the semi desert area known for its arid beauty and arching poverty. but deep beneath its sheep, an arid region spanning 800 miles between Johannesburg and Cape Town. In December 2010, shell submitted three separate exploration license applications for areas around 30,000 square kilometres each, in the Western cape, Eastern cape, and Northern provinces of South Africa.

In South Africa, hydraulic fracturing, also known as ‘’fracking” has been the subject of heated dabate, international oil companies, notably shell South Africa, bundu and oil, and falcon gas and oil, applied for shale gas exploration permits in the Karoo in 2010. Environmental groups such as treasure the Karoo action group (TKAG), which believe fracking will cause irreparable damage to the Karoo’s biodiversity and underground water reservoirs, contested this.

South Africa department of water affairs figures that  of the so odd towns, villages, and settlements falling within shell’s concession in Karoo, 37 rely entirely on groundwater, 10 use a combination of groundwater and 3 use the surface alone.

During the fracking millions of litres of water, sand and chemicals most of which are toxic, corciogic as well as teratogenic diesel fuel, naphthalene compounds etc are pumped into boreholes at a high pressure to release natural gas trapped in layers of the underground rock.

Large parts of South Africa’s beautiful, but water-poor and ecologically sensitive Karoo region are under threat of being devastated by mining operations to extract natural gas using controversial technique called hydraulic fracturing or fracking.

According to geologist Gerrit van Tonder, fracking in Karoo will eventually contaminate the groundwater supply, whether due to well casing failures or upward migration of fluids from faults and fractures.

Shell says the drilling will create needed employment and alternative to the country’s reliance on coal, but the remains concerns about benefits for local citizens.

The government will stop the exploration of shale gas in South Africa’s karoo region if it is found that hydraulic fracturing or fracking poses any risk to the water table or to the square kilometre array (ska) telescope project, says mineral resources Susan Shabanga.

The government insists that if it becomes apparent that exploration is harming the Karoo, they will shut it down. The report presented to the capinet says careful regulation of disposal of the noxious water produced during fracking would be crucial, but some fear that the lure of energy independence and the prospect of creating jobs in a country where unemployment is currently running 25% will prove too tempting no matter how much damage is done in the process.

A critical evaluation is then carried out on the potential impact on fracking in the karoo. The lack of a conclusive scientific consensus on the environmental externalities and economic benefits of fracking is evident.

So it can also be viewed that  the exploration also had a positive impact in the country not only did it cause distractions and abit of depression. towards other provinces in the country.

 

References

De Wit, MJ, 2011. ‘’The great debate in the Karoo’’, accessed on 27 February 2013.

Rutendo Dhilwayo ’’fracking in the karoo:a step in the right direction’’, 16 November 2012.

SANews.gov.za, accessed on 27 February 2013.

Shell. ’the Karoo Basin’’, accessed on 28 February 2013.

South Africa imposes ‘fracking’ moratorium in Karoo. April 21,2011.