A one-man show run from a shared office block in Cape Town has obtained the largest exploration rights in KwaZulu-Natal. Rhino Oil and Gas Exploration South Africa, which has its corporate office in the known tax haven of the British Virgin Islands, and with no known black economic empowerment partner, has landed not only a 1,5-million hectare exploration right in KZN, but … [Read more...]
New bid for oil exploration in KwaZulu-Natal sparks fear
A Texas petroleum exploration company with prospecting rights over huge chunks of KwaZulu-Natal and other parts of South Africa has begun its attempt to find gas and oil in the mountains near Matatiele. Although the company insists that the latest exploration bid will not involve any fracking at this stage, agriculture and environmental watchdog groups fear that any … [Read more...]
TKAG warns of fracking ‘Trojan horse’
Reports that oil and gas multinational Shell is reviewing its plans for fracking outside the Americas could be a "Trojan horse", the Treasure Karoo Action Group (TKAG) said on Tuesday. "Shell is a seasoned campaigner and what may at first blush appear to be a withdrawal from Karoo shale gas, may just be a Trojan horse," TKAG head Jonathan Deal said in a … [Read more...]
Shale gas protests in Southern Algeria going national
Protests against fracking are happening in Algeria. Recent news coming from this country focuses on two main issues: the effects of falling oil prices and the anti-shale gas drilling protests in the southern region. The two matters are inherently connected because the drop in oil prices is leading the Algerian regime to pursue nontraditional hydrocarbon sources, such as … [Read more...]
Cansa launches fracking transparency initiative
Cansa is worried hazardous substances & carcinogens could contaminate drinking water in the Karoo. The Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa) has launched an initiative which it hopes will force companies to be transparent, should fracking for shale gas become a reality in the Karoo. The association is worried hazardous substances and known carcinogens, which are … [Read more...]
A good time to frack the ocean?
Here is an intelligent look at what lies ahead for SA if we push forward with the plan to frack the ocean near Mossel Bay, by Andreas Wilson-Späth, a freelance writer with a PhD in geochemistry: If you’re a regular reader of this column, you know what I think about fracking: it’s a dangerous, polluting, wasteful, climate changing and altogether unnecessary technology, and … [Read more...]
R1 trillion can take all homeowners off the grid
I think one would need a referendum to spend R1,000,000,000,000. But my calculations show that for about R1 trillion one can take the entire homeowner load off the grid between 6am and 10pm. This is a MUCH better use of resources than spending this on a new nuclear plant with the help of Russia, says David Lipschitz, solar energy expert. And in this system no government … [Read more...]
Zuma has 30 days to halt fracking process
"We want to see physical steps to halt the fracking process....He is the one that needs to put a stop to it [bearing in mind] the new evidence," CEO Jonathan Deal told reporters in Johannesburg. TKAG and civil rights group Afriforum hand-delivered a letter to Zuma's offices at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Monday. In the letter the groups call for Zuma to investigate … [Read more...]
SA insurers polled over fracking risk
Treasure the Karoo Action Group (TKAG) and AfriForum have formally approached South African Insurers and the South African Insurance Association to clarify their policy on the unique risks presented by shale gas mining and ancillary activities. With the advent of new technology and shale gas mining spreading at a rapid pace in the United States, insurance providers are … [Read more...]
Join the fracking debate this Friday
As the ANC’s new cabinet moves into gear, expectations are that President Zuma will soon issue final regulations in connection with shale gas mining. This, as promised by Mr. Zuma in his State of The Nation Address, ‘will be followed by the processing and granting of licences.’ At that point, the doors to exploration will have been opened and Shell, et al will be set loose … [Read more...]
Fracking: a dead end for Britain
Large-scale fracking is a must for the UK economy, says a new report from the House of Lords. But it confuses opinion with fact, cherry-picks data, and six of its authors have a stake in the industry. The real solutions, writes Tony Bosworth, lie in energy efficiency and renewables. Thursday's report from the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee on shale gas was a … [Read more...]
Elections 2014 - who gets your green vote?
This week we will vote for the future of this country. If you are aware of climate change and other threats to our environment and therefore to our civilisation, it helps to take note of how the different parties plan to respond to these threats. What are they saying in their manifestos about: Energy and Climate change Water (services and resources) Mining and … [Read more...]
Fracking and water: what we can learn from the US experience
Many issues are poorly understood by those involved with and affected by fracking, the US shale gas industry can offer lessons Water is a critical but contentious resource for the fracking industry, which is booming in the US and poised to take off globally. Despite vast media coverage on the topic, many issues remain poorly understood by policymakers, the business community … [Read more...]
