Fracking in Karoo: Deadline for public comment on regulations set for 15 January

A deadline to comment on water regulations related to fracking and similar exploration activity will pass next week.

Fracking in the Karoo has been in the legislative pipeline for a decade, with a version of the proposed regulations first being gazetted in 2015.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has been holding engagement sessions since December, after the regulations were again gazetted on 22 November 2024.

Karoo fracking

The purpose of the gazetted regulations is to protect the nation’s water resources against the effects of extracting natural gas from the province’s bedrock.

Hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, pumps pressurised chemically infused liquids into the bedrock to release stored natural resources.

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The regulations will be applicable to all onshore explorations within South Africa and cover underground coal gasification activities, water use licences and a host of other compliance aspects

After being announced in parliament over 10 years ago, assessments found adverse impacts on the environment due to the chemicals used and potential disruption to natural habitats.

“The regulations will manage these activities as they have a possibility of contaminating the water resources, particularly groundwater. The department formulated these regulations as mandated by the National Water Act,” stated DWS spokesperson Wisane Mavasa.

Unconventional gas regulation

Fracking is a type of unconventional gas exploration that involves horizontal drilling.

As opposed to conventional gas exploration that drills into a reservoir or chamber containing a natural resource, the fracking method is used to access deposits scattered over a wider area.

Wits University’s Global Change Institute (GCI) previously stated that fracking increased the frequency of small earth tremors and required large volumes of water in a water-scarce area.

While the fluid does not need to be fresh water and the water can be reused, each production well can require roughly 15 million litres.  

“The greatest risk is that the fracking fluid leaks into the surface water and shallow aquifers used by people, livestock and the ecosystem, due to inadequate sealing of the upper parts of the borehole,” GCI said.

Economic benefits of fracking

Reuters has previously reported that the fracking industry in the United States created roughly, 725 000 jobs over a seven-year period.

While the industry has peaked across the Atlantic and employment numbers have declined, the opportunity exists to make a dent in unemployment figures at home.

Adding another natural asset to South Africa’s list of tradable resources could also bring an economic windfall, although experts are divided over the amount of gas reserves contained in the earth below the Karoo.

“Interested parties have until 15 January 2025 to submit written comments or make input during stakeholder engagement processes,” Mavasa concluded.

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