Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian

Fracking

latest news & developments
Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe.(Rodger Bosch/AFP)

Courts temporarily halted Shell’s exploration but fracking in Karoo gets Mantashe’s nod

The mineral and petroleum resources minister has commissioned a seismic survey for oil and gas in the Karoo Basin

The government can’t move on its fracking ambitions until it meets the court order requiring that there will be no environmental damage

Environment minister proposes new fracking rules for South Africa

But the government can’t move on its fracking ambitions until it meets the court order requiring that there will be no environmental damage

Powerships ‘a climate threat’

The decision to use Turkey’s floating power plants locks the country into fossil fuels for 20 years

Keep fracking out of the Kalahari Desert’s Kavango Basin – activists

Civil society groups have called on Namibia’s agriculture, water and forestry minister to immediately stop a Canadian company from prospecting

Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, is a process that involves using a highly pressurised mixture of water and chemicals to drill into shale beds to release the gas trapped inside the rocks. (David McNew/AFP/Getty)

Gwede keeps options open despite anti-fracking ruling

The minister of mineral resources and energy, Gwede Mantashe, has announced that his department will not be extracting gas by way of fracking

Drilling for water in the Karoo where one major concern from fracking is that groundwater will be affected in the shale gas extraction process.

Groundwater maps could help South Africa prepare for safer fracking

A vulnerability map could help assess the risks associated with fracking and groundwater which around 300 towns depend on in South Africa’s Karoo

Women are at the bottom of the pile when policies are designed without them. Photo: File

​Court throws out fracking application for KZN

A procedural failure on the part of government has meant a further delay for attempts to get gas out from under 15 000 farms in KwaZulu-Natal.

Pump it up: In the United States fracking went ahead before there were enough laws in place to monitor it.

‘Give SA its own fracking agency’

South Africa has adopted a softly-softly approach to shale gas exploration.

Shale oil has sparked an energy boom in the US.

BHP write-down reveals fragile state of shale

The size of BHP Billiton’s $2.8bn write-down for its US shale assets took some banks by surprise – at least two thought it was too small.

Let’s debate facts – not feelings

To debate on the basis of science-based evidence before making decisions is something we should aspire to in every field where it is possible.

Fracking out in the open at last

A team of researchers has R12.5-million and two years to consider the effect of fracking for shale gas on the Karoo.

Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, is a process that involves using a highly pressurised mixture of water and chemicals to drill into shale beds to release the gas trapped inside the rocks. (David McNew/AFP/Getty)

The hunt for Karoo shale gas begins

The government plans to grant oil companies licences to begin exploring the Karoo for gas from as early as July this year.

Women are at the bottom of the pile when policies are designed without them. Photo: File

Fracking chemicals ‘may affect fertility’

Researchers in the US have found that many of the 750 or so chemicals used in fracking are associated with fertility and developmental problems.

Stakes high as US plays oil card

A ploy to soften up Russia and Iran might inflict collateral damage on its own shale industry.

Zuma: Government wants 30 wells in 10 years for oil exploration

Although blessed with an abundance of minerals such as gold, platinum and coal, SA has always been a major oil importer.