Shale Explorers in South Africa Will Need Water License First

Companies that are looking for shale gas exploration rights in South Africa will first need to apply for a water usage licence, the country's water and environmental affairs minister said on Tuesday, according to a Reuters report.

Last year when South Africa lifted a moratorium on shale gas exploration in its Karoo region, decision aroused criticism from environmentalists who say water supplies could be polluted by fracking.

“I have taken the decision to issue a notice of intention to declare fracking a controlled activity in terms of the National Water Act ... What this means is that fracking becomes a water use, thus requiring a water use licence,” water minister Edna Molewa told journalists, Reuters reported.

According to Reuters the regulatory process around fracking in South Africa has been slow and no exploration permits have been issued yet.