BDlive: Editorial - SA must take the long view on shale

Lead times are long in the oil and gas industry. It is therefore doubtful that government tardiness in creating a legislative and regulatory framework for shale gas exploration in the Karoo had anything to do with Shell’s decision to scale back its investment in hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Even if SA had already passed sensible laws, released workable fracking regulations and issued appropriate licences, environmental impact assessments would have to be carried out before any drilling could take place, followed by extensive consultation with affected communities. Given the size and sophistication of the antifracking lobby in SA, this process could take up to two years — even longer if the courts were to get involved.

Read the full article HERE.