South Africa's Cabinet Approves Shale Gas Policy

South Africa’s cabinet on Thursday approved regulations on shale gas exploration and exploitation.

“The proposed regulations prescribe good international petroleum industry practices and standards, which enhance safe exploration and production of all petroleum - including, but not limited to, shale gas, and will further ensure that petroleum exploration is conducted in a socially and environmentally balanced manner,” Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu said.

The potential of shale gas exploration and exploitation provides an opportunity for South Africa to begin exploring the production of its own fuel and marks the beginning of the reindustrialisation of the economy, government’s official news agency SA News quoted the minister as saying.  .

She said government was satisfied that the technical regulations had sufficiently addressed recommendations contained in the investigation report for hydraulic fracturing of 2012, as well as the Cabinet directive to augment the existing regulations.

“We believe, as government, that we have acted in the best possible way, in the interests of the South African economy and its citizens, and we will continue to do so as we traverse this journey of hydraulic fracturing for the production of shale gas,” said Shabangu.

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