Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
Whether the Karoo region has enough water to commence the Government’s pilot shale gas project; if not, from where will the water be sourced; if so, (a) what is the water source and (b) the duration of the project?
Currently, only the applications for exploration rights are being considered by the National Department of Mineral Resources, which entails seismic surveys (which does not include hydraulic fracturing or the use or large volumes of water).
Should any future expanded exploration programme include hydraulic fracturing (which requires large amounts of water), water sources (and any impacts associated with the use of such a resource) will have to be identified and assessed as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment that will accompany such an application.
At this stage, no clear, or preferred water source has been identified for any scenario that involves hydraulic fracturing on a large scale as part of any pilot shale gas project.
