Guarding the chicken run’

Exploration activities for oil and gas don’t take cumulative impacts of mining into account

found, including fracking.”

The firm says in the report that no physical, on-the-ground activities are proposed and thus the project would not interact with or cause impacts to the great majority of environmental aspects. “No stimulation, pressure testing, hydraulic fracturing or water abstraction is included in the proposed exploration work.”

It declares how the identification and use of domestic natural gas reserves could enable South Africa to take steps to secure the country’s energy supply (through diversification), assist in reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases (by reducing the country’s reliance on coal for electricity generation) and reduce the need for the importation of gas. As such, exploration for additional domestic hydrocarbon reserves is consistent with the country’s draft Integrated Resource Plan.

In March, the Petroleum Agency SA, accepted the final scoping report, noting that the implementation of the plan of study for the EIA must involve affected stakeholders and state organs regulating matters affecting the environment.

“The requirements of the Civil Aviation Authority and provisions of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act with regards to flying the aircraft must be considered.”

An assessment on the impacts of aircraft on livestock and game farms must be included. The EIA and Environmental Management Plan must be submitted to the agency by July.

Frackfree SA says coal bed methane (CBM) is the targeted resource in the region, rich in water factories, the ecosystems responsible for continuous flows of clean water. “Fracking for CBM takes places at shallower depths than for shale gas. This has a greater potential to dry up and pollute our precious water supplies… We know that exploration will lead to extraction if viable resources are found.”

Judy Bell, a volunteer at Frackfree SA, says: “The main thing for us is that this is about climate change and species extinction – exploring and fracking will put us quicker on to the path to self destruction… Water is the limit to growth in this country.”

Saliem Fakir, head of the policy and futures unit at WWF-SA, adds: “Whether this leads to economic development or economic damage that destroys what’s already productive and has taken years to develop is the more important question to ask.”