Karoo Fracking- Is it a threat or benefit?
South Africa’s Great Karoo is a tourist destination in
which travellers explore the nature exposed onto the endless plains among the
mountains. It is a historical habitat for the Khoi and San people, who left
their legacy as art on their rocks. The great Karoo consists of Flora and Fauna,
in which makes up the Karoo as wonderful as it is today.
The Karoo region is frequently identified by the geographic extent of a region of natural vegetation. In search of minerals, through 'fracking', which is the pumping of water and chemicals into rock at high pressure, the rapid expansion of natural gas drilling across the nation endangers human health and the environment, as well as vegetation.
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| How shale gas is extracted (http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/shale_gas.pdf) |
Although it’s a danger to the environment, it can also be seen as a potential contribution to the economy, as Jobs can be created. In a country where unemployment is a huge factor, hydraulic fracturing automatically becomes one of the alternative measures taken to create jobs.
According to the South African Think Tank, the gas extracted could provide South Africa with 400 years’ worth of energy. For a country that regularly endures power cuts, that would mean a brighter future. It is also estimated that shale gas development could add trillions of rand’s to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
According
to the Department of Mineral resources, making a moderately
optimistic assumption that ultimately 30 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) will be
produced, and using indicative pricing of US$ 4 per thousand cubic feet of gas
and an exchange rate of R8 per US dollar, the gross sales value would be almost
R1 trillion. Similarly, 1 TCF was sufficient to launch Petro SA’s
gas-to-liquids project in Mossel Bay which provides approximately 5% of the
national demand for liquid fuels and entails 1500-1600 jobs.
According to KPMG Global Energy Institution,
there are 485 shale gas reserves, trillion Cubic feet. It is expected that the
contribution of shale gas production to the growth of the economy and GDP would
be enhanced by the necessary creation of service industries with all the
attendant implications for sales of goods and services.
Fracking, however, is a danger factor to the ecosystem in
the Karoo, damaging flora and endangering animal life. It is also a threat to
farmers, as the crop production will decrease due to crop damages. This will
lead to loss of lives as many depend on the crops for survival, including the
farmers. According to KPMG Global Energy Institution, the other environmental
factors include Groundwater contamination; where chemicals leak into
underground rivers, as well as drinking water leads to health risks, in being
exposed to diseases such as cholera, Gasification; when gas migrates into
groundwater, it may build up pressure, leading to explosions, water usage
risks, in which water may be intensive and may pose risks in water restricted
areas, Spills and blowouts, in which well blowouts can cause spills that could
spread into the surrounding soil and wetlands, streams and waterways. Therefore
wastewater kept in storage ponds can overflow in high rains.
Sources consulted
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