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The proposed regulations pertain to fracking, coal bed methane and underground coal gasification in South Africa
Interested parties have until 15 January 2025 to submit written comments or make inputs on the proposed Unconventional Gas Regulations, which pertains to fracking, coal bed methane and underground coal gasification in South Africa.
The country’s Department of Water and Sanitation has made provisions for a second round of public consultations and comments on the proposed Unconventional Gas Regulations.
The regulations are intended to manage these activities, which could contaminate water resources, especially groundwater.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina published the Gazette Notice 51642 on 22 November 2024, and granted the sector key stakeholders and the public sector 30 days to make representations on the proposed regulations.
The regulations include rules around fracking, coal bed methane and underground coal gasification.
In a statement issued on Wednesday (8 January) department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said the stakeholder engagements started early in December 2024 and were put on hold on 15 December 2024 to accommodate the holiday season in South Africa.
“A new round of public consultations has since resumed on Monday, 6 January 2025, and members of the public can make written submissions, or attend stakeholder engagements to be announced in due course in order to make contributions.
“Interested parties have until 15 January 2025 to submit written comments or make input during stakeholder engagement processes,” Mavasa said.
Regulation looks to manage fracking responsibly
The Department of Water and Sanitation has been tasked with the responsibility of formulating regulations that will oversee the use of water for exploration and production of onshore naturally occurring hydrocarbons that require stimulation, including hydraulic fracturing and underground coal gasification, to extract, commonly known as “fracking”, which is an activity of drilling underground to extract gas by the gas industries.
“These activities were announced in Parliament but were found to have adverse impact on the environment due to the chemicals used during fracking. As the department is mandated to protect, manage, control, and develop water resources, regulations guiding the activities of fracking were developed.
“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,” Mavasa said. |
