The induced fractures increase the surface area and create additional. Pdf the great shale debate in the karoo researchgate. However, not every well is completed using this method. One concern about fracking in the karoo is that the process needs a lot of water for the drilling and fracturing. With access to local shale gas, south africa could easily meet. Massive hydraulic fracturing of gas wells in tight sandstone began in germany in 1975, and became common during the period 19781985, when more wells received massive hydraulic fracs in germany than in any other european country. Hydraulic fracturing is a reality in south africa and the promulgation of the. Fracking in the karoo 18 september 2012 sipho mfundisi shale gas extraction brings significant risk of ground and surface water contamination. The energy sector in south africa contributes about 15% to the. Given declining supplies of conventional natural gas and the development of techniques to release gas from previously inaccessible geologic formations, shale gas will play an increasingly important. On august 7, the colorado district court of larimer. Introduction by developing a robust legal framework and requiring operational best practices, shale gas extraction through hydraulic fracturing, or simply fracking, can be safe and highly rewarding. A number of companies have lined up to explore shale gas locally, and have.
The imposition of western economic, political, and to an extent cultural models has. Hydrochemical and hydrogeological impact of hydraulic. Hydraulic fracturing has been used in the oil and natural gas industry since the 1940s, producing more than 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 7 billion barrels of oil. The economic benefits of hydraulic fracturing california. This includes both surface water bodies and underground rock formaions. Approximately 90% of south africas energy comes from coal. The book is multidisciplinary, with contributors including natural scientists, social scientists, and academics from the humanities. Reports highlight the safety of hydraulic fracturing for drinking water if it occurs many hundreds of meters to kilometers underground. The karoo is the geographic area that is the focus of future hydraulic fracturing in south africa, derived from a word in the local language meaning dry. The added chemicals reduce the friction of the fluid as it travels through the pipes and into the shale stratum. Presents an uptodate description of current and new hydraulic fracturing processes. The technique of hydraulic fracturing requires relatively large volumes of water which may be difficult to source in the karoo. Groundwater pollution can be minimised through good borehole construction and the maintenance of the well bore integrity, coupled with intensive and close monitoring which can be achieved through the. Exploring potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing.
Therefore the aim of the study was to investigate the extent to which current institutional set up in south africa can deal and address. The ethical debate thus far has focused on the presentday environmental aspects of shells limited exploratory drilling proposal using hydraulic fracturing technology. To our knowledge, however, no comprehensive analysis of hydraulic fracturing depths exists. This study focused on the potential impacts to biodiversity and ecosystem services that may occur in the event of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas materialising in the nama karoo biome in south africa. During fracking millions of litres of water, sand and numerous chemicals most of which are. Handbook of hydraulic fracturing wiley online books. A recent wrc report aims to fill at least some of these gaps by looking at what we currently know about the process of hydraulic fracturing, and what could happen should the process take place. What are the effects of fracking on the environment. Hydrochemical and hydrogeological impact of hydraulic fracturing. South africa has a problem of subterranean water already and it is common knowledge that shale gas extraction requires very significant amounts of water. Germany also had the largest hydraulic fracturing jobs in europe, using up to 650 tonnes of proppant per well. The gas would only be accessible by hydraulic fracturing fracking. The depths of hydraulic fracturing and accompanying water.
Study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on. Speight phd, dsc is a senior fuel and environmental consultant. Overview of shale gas and hydraulic fracturing in canada. Hydraulic fracturing in the karoo is said to be a game changer of energy sector in south africa, but it is said to pose potential groundwater contamination. Hydraulic fracturing is indeed relevant to indiana and has been since it began to be used in the early 1950s. Blm hydraulic fracturing rule anticipated by year end. Lack of scientific proof to backup claims on any side of the fence has fuelled the confusion. Hydrochemical and hydrogeological impact of hydraulic fracturing in the karoo, south africa. The process takes on the average, three to five days to complete. Air pollution and water contamination due to the toxic chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing are. The history of hydraulic fracturing hydraulic fracturing commonly referred to as fracking has had an undeniable impact on the energy industry in the united states. The countrys government warms to shale gas, but many are still sceptical.
This process is intended to create new fractures in the rock as well as increase the size, extent, and connectivity of existing fractures. This widelyused technique involves the injection of water, sand and other fluids at very high pressure into the rock formation, creating tiny fissures as thin as. Shale gas fracking in the karoo northern cape provincial. Hydraulic fracking in the karoo, south africa ejatlas. Study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. Previously a lake 275 million years ago, shale gas began to form in the lowoxygen karoo as organic mud accumulated. The karoo hydraulic fracturing debate is a case in point. Various oil and gas companies such as shell, bundu, falcon, anglo have applied for licenses to explore for shale gas in the greater karoo basin spanning from the western cape to kzn, with the intention of producing natural gas using the controversial method of horizontal hydraulic fracturing.
Department of energys doe estimate of 410 trillion cubic feet of. Some of the challenges today in fracturing revolve around the scale of. Hydraulic fracking in the karoo, south africa description. The development of shale gas using vertical and horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing or fracking technologies, has been presented to. In the usa alone, hydraulic fracturing is used in around 35,000 wells a year. Hydraulic fracturing hydraulic fracturing has been used safely for 60 years on 1.
Mitigating environmental damages dean raviv 5 injected at high pressure into the shale formation, fracturing the rocks. Chapter 10 hydrochemical and hydrogeological impact of hydraulic fracturing in the karoo, south africa g. Since the karoo is a semidesert and often experiences drought, current water scarcity raises the question of whether fracking will cause further water shortages in the area. Health risk perception related i to fracking in the karoo. In this report, drinking water resources are considered to be any water that now serves, or in the future could serve, as a. Investigation of hydraulic fracturing in the karoo basin of south africa. The development of shale gas using vertical and horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing or fracking technologies, has been presented to the. How, where, and its role in oil and gas article pdf available in journal american water works association 10611. Hydraulic fracturing in the karoo book launch tuesday 14 december, law faculty quad level 3 kevin winter egs department, uct at the outset i wish to. Risks to ecological systems from hydraulic fracturing in.
Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a technique that is used to extract gas from low permeable rocks. Environmental compliance and enforcement in south africa. W du plessis regulation of hydraulic fracturing in. He is recognized internationally as an expert in the characterization, properties, and processing of conventional fuels, synthetic fuels, and biofuels. Pdf potential ecophysiological and phytosociological. Bunger, john mclennan and rob jeffrey, intechopen, doi. Investigation of hydraulic fracturing in the karoo basin. There are some concerns among our society about hydraulic fracturing regarding usage of huge amount of water and chemicals during the fracturing operation. The potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. Oil production last year reached its highest level in fourteen years, thanks in part to the output from north dakotas bakken shale. Health risk perception related to fracking in the karoo, south africa mieke willems, mohamed aqiel dalvie, leslie london, hannaandrea rother shale gas exploration involving hydraulic fracturing fracking has been on south africas energy agenda since 2010 as a potential alternative to coal. Hydrochemical and hydrogeological impact of hydraulic fracturing in the karoo, south africa, effective and sustainable hydraulic fracturing, andrew p. Large volumes of fluids typically water combined with chemicals and sand are injected at. In june, schlumberger introduced a step change in fracturing technology with the commercialization of its hiway flowchan nel hydraulic fracturing service, which delivers increased pro duction with 45% less proppant.
Fracking and the democratic deficit in south africa pdf, 666kb. Indiana oil and gas operators continue to utilize hydraulic fracturing to complete wells when they believe the method will increase the productivity of a well. Technical aspects of hydraulic fracturing hydraulic fracturing is an integral part of the production of gas from lowpermeability unconventional reservoirs such as shale, tight sandstones and coal. Hydraulic fracturing study progress report 2012 epas. All four initiatives have been shelved to allow a task force to consider options and make recommendations to the state legislature. The technique is highly specialised and comprises complex mechanical and chemical processes. The instructors text, hydraulic fracturing, will serve as course material. Testifying before a house committee, secretary of the interior sally jewel stated that the department of the interior doi expects the bureau of land management blm will finalize its proposed regulations governing hydraulic fracturing on federal and indian lands before the end of 2014. The hydraulic fracturing process hydraulic fracturing is not a drilling technique. Used with modern horizontal drilling technology, fracking has unlocked vast u. Hydraulic fracturing in the karoo book launch tuesday 14.
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