SA (Pasa) is set to make
recommendations to the
minister of energy on the
granting of exploration
licences for shale gas in the
Karoo, according to the
agency’s manager, David van
der Spuy.
Van der Spuy said contrary
to popular belief no shale gas
exploration licences had as yet
been issued in the country.
“The issuing of licences is
under evaluation. We have
reviewed feedback from the
public consultation process
with all stakeholders and
the various scientific reports
on shale gas as well as the
comments and responses that
have been made by the public,
interest groups and industry,”
he said. “We have taken into
account the concerns raised
about fracking in the Karoo
and are now in the process
of finalising it all to brief the
minister. Our hope is to get
this to the minister by no later
than the third quarter this
year.”
He said a moratorium on
the granting of new shale gas
exploration rights remained
in place and permits granted
previously did not permit
hydraulic fracturing – or
fracking.
Fracking in the Karoo has
been a contentious issue.
Environmental groups have
raised doubt about the process
and its real economic impact
– particularly when initial
estimates of 379 trillion cubic
feet of gas in 2015 were said to
be unfounded and that it was
more likely to be only about
a tenth of that at around 36
trillion cubic feet.
“We have since looked at
the data in more depth and
revised our estimate of the
country’s potential shale gas
and believe it could be as much
as 201 trillion cubic feet.”
