South Africa says shale gas exploration to begin in next 12 months

[unhappycamper]

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/08/south-africa-says-shale-gas-exploration-to-begin-in-next-12-months

Semi-desert Karoo region believed to hold shale gas reserves, but environmentalists argue semi-arid area’s water supply is at risk from fracking

South Africa says shale gas exploration to begin in next 12 months
AFP
Tuesday 8 March 2016 10.32 EST

The South African government said on Tuesday that exploration for shale gas will begin in the next 12 months, ending years of speculation over the project.

South Africa’s semi-desert Karoo region is believed to hold at least 485 trillion cubic feet of shale gas, but drilling has been delayed by environmental and economic concerns.

“One area of real opportunity for South Africa is the exploitation of shale gas,” the government said in a statement.

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But the process of fracking used to capture the gas has been opposed by environmentalist who argue that it has the potential to poison the Karoo’s underground water supply.