South Africa is extraordinarily water scarce, and water provide will develop into more difficult sooner or later. The population and economy are growing, growing demand. Rainfall is variable and more excessive and extended droughts are anticipated due to climate change.
More than 80% of South Africa’s out there floor water sources are already allocated for use. Groundwater sources will due to this fact develop into more vital in South Africa.
There is, nonetheless, a possible menace to these groundwater sources. South Africa relies upon closely on coal for energy however its coal sources are being depleted. The nation could flip to unconventional oil and fuel sources to increase power provide. And strategies to extract oil and fuel can contaminate and deplete groundwater.
Hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, is used to extract trapped oil and fuel from underground geological formations. A combination of water, chemical substances and sand is injected into these formations beneath excessive stress.
This opens up micro-fractures within the rock to launch the trapped oil and fuel, however it might additionally disturb the deep geological formations and aquifers. Groundwater could be contaminated if deep saline groundwater migrates to potable groundwater sources through hydraulic connections.
Read: SA releases draft shale fuel regulations
In addition to migration of saline groundwater, the chemical substances used throughout fracking can contaminate groundwater. Wastewater may additionally get into groundwater through spills and leaks. And the hydraulic fracturing course of requires giant volumes of water.
Regulations which can be correctly developed and enforced are due to this fact important to shield groundwater sources in South Africa when extracting unconventional oil and gas.
Regulations to shield groundwater
On 7 May 2021, the Department of Water and Sanitation revealed regulations on the use of water in oil and gas extraction. And on 11 July 2022, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment revealed proposed regulations for the exploration and production of onshore oil and gas for public remark. These regulations goal to shield the surroundings throughout oil and fuel growth.
The surroundings division additionally revealed a doc for remark specifying what information must be supplied when making use of for a licence to produce oil and fuel. The two departments’ regulations should be learn collectively since each shield groundwater sources.
Based on a survey of South African groundwater consultants that my colleagues and I carried out, I’ve reviewed the proposed regulations and recognized points that want consideration.
A power of the regulations is that they record penalties for contraventions, which is able to assist with enforcement. However, there are gaps within the regulations. Some extraction strategies and associated processes aren’t regulated.
Gaps in fracking regulations
The surroundings division’s regulations solely tackle unconventional oil and fuel growth that requires hydraulic fracturing. Other methods are additionally used to free these sources. For instance, depressurisation can be utilized to liberate coalbed methane. All the extraction strategies should be included within the regulations.
The regulations say that water sources and fracking wells on the extraction web site should be not less than 2km aside. This is just not far sufficient. Based on what the survey of consultants discovered, fracking wells should be not less than 10km away from municipal wellfields, aquifers and water provide boreholes. They should be not less than 5km away from seismically energetic springs.
These minimal distances, often called setbacks, are additionally wanted the place there are other geological and groundwater features that improve the chance of groundwater contamination.
The regulations do not tackle particular measures to comprise fractures to the manufacturing zone, or to stop fluids from migrating past this space. Operators should have to monitor these dangers and report to the regulator. If monitoring reveals that fluid is transferring exterior the manufacturing zone, operations should cease till the scenario is corrected.
The proposed regulations don’t tackle fracturing fluid administration. The water division regulations require {that a} record of chemical substances deliberate to be used within the fracturing fluids be submitted to the division for approval, however this alone is inadequate to shield groundwater. A danger administration plan for every nicely that’s to be fractured should be submitted to the regulator. It should determine the chemical substances and the amount and focus of the fluid components. The plan should assess the potential environmental and well being dangers of the fracturing fluids and components – and present how operations will minimise danger.
Read: South Africa’s means to handle wastewater is collapsing: what’s in danger
The regulations require a waste administration plan. It should be more complete, by contemplating each strong waste and wastewater. The plan should embody transport, storage and administration of wastewater and different substances used, and procedures for stopping and addressing spills. It should monitor and report on the precise quantity of recovered fluids, the chemical composition of those fluids, and any radioactive fluids that had been recognized.
The data disclosure regulations are insufficient. They require that numerous data sources be uploaded onto the web site of the holder. They do not require public entry to this data. It could be higher to load the info onto a centralised web site run by an impartial establishment, the place it’s out there and in a usable type.
The nicely decommissioning regulations do not specify how lengthy decommissioned wells should be monitored. The danger of nicely leakage over the long term implies that a monitoring timeframe of 50 years or more may be necessary. The regulations should take into account who can be accountable and carry the related prices.
Ancillary actions aren’t regulated. For instance, there’s no point out of pipeline administration or monitoring. Pipelines might leak and contaminate groundwater sources, particularly if they’re buried.
The minimal data necessities doc additionally wants revision. Information about the place wells can be positioned should be publicly out there. For the groundwater baseline (the groundwater high quality and amount earlier than fracking), each shallow and deep aquifers should be assessed, and doable fluid migration pathways should be recognized.
If these points are addressed and the regulations correctly enforced, the regulations will do a greater job of defending groundwater sources.
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