Karoo Unites Against Shell

feature ) ) ) ORS ORS ORS T T T DI DI DI E E E ROUP ROUP ROUP , G , G , G , ISER ISER ISER T T T DVER DVER DVER A A A T T T EINE EINE EINE R R R - - - RAAFF RAAFF RAAFF (G (G (G MORE G U OEDHALS OEDHALS OEDHALS D G G G HER T EA INNEKE INNEKE INNEKE T T H T KAROO UNITES AGAINST SHELL ‘It would be criminally negligent of Shell to push ahead with their exploration application without gathering comprehensive research and data on the Karoo’s highly sensitive water systems, geology and natural environment,’ international business leader Johann Rupert told farmers, landowners and community members at Shell’s public participation meeting in Graaff-Reinet. Heather Dugmore reports. TOP FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: T A MEETING IN GRAAFF-REINET have on the region’s highly sensitive water • Business magnate Johann Rupert at the Graaff-Reinet meeting. on 28 January, more than systems, geology and natural environment. 150 farmers, landowners and Certainly, this can’t be accomplished • Adam Dodson, Shell’s Holland-based community members called on in the two- to three-week time frame exploration manager of unconventional Aglobal energy company Shell to halt the envisaged for compiling the Environmental oil and gas new business, said they haven’t decided which chemicals submission of three applications to explore Management Programme (EMP) required they’ll use, but one possibility is similar for shale gas over 90 000km² in the Karoo, by the Petroleum Agency of South Africa to a chemical used in ice cream. until comprehensive research has been (PASA), which administers applications as a • Ed Kingwill, farmer and chairperson done on the impact the exploration will designated agent of the minister of energy. of the Rooihoogte Farmers’ Association, Middelburg. • Brent Baxter, business unit leader No science to support lower carbon-emission claim for environmental services at Golder, listening to Johann Rupert at the Graaff-Reinet meeting. Shale gas is being punted as having a The carbon footprint of a power plant lower carbon emission than coal. However, that’s fed by a nearby coal mine might • ‘All town councils in the affected areas environmental consultant Fritz Bekker says be lower than that of a gas-powered should be consulted, because there are ever-increasing pressures on their water there’s no science to support this claim. power plant, where energy inputs may supplies to meet the needs of burgeoning “One-size-fits all studies can’t be be high during exploration, extraction, townships,’ said farmer and attorney from generally applied as there are vast transport, processing, maintenance, the Schoombie district, Mike Ferrar. differences in the geology from region to plant operation and distribution. • Bradley Gibbons, project leader of the region, as well as vast differences in the “The impacts of coal as a fossil fuel Karoo Crane Conservation Project. cleanliness of the fossil fuel, be it coal, shale throughout the life cycle of coal-fired • “You want to come onto our land and gas or any other fossil fuel, as is evident power stations are well known in South do what you like, but you can’t tell us in South Africa’s coal – some of which is Africa, and many mitigating technologies how you’ll compensate us,” said Karoo high quality and ‘clean’, and some of which have been developed successfully for local farmer and Agri EC council member Christo Botha at the Hofmeyr meeting. is low quality or ‘dirty’,” he explains. conditions,” says Bekker. “A life-cycle Total carbon emissions should be assessment should be performed on a new • Princess Irene of the Dutch royal family calculated for the entire life cycle of a energy source, such as the shale gas in the not only owns a Karoo nature reserve – her family is a major shareholder in Shell. project and emission calculations can’t Karoo, before misleading statements can be She’s pledged to fight Shell’s application. be generalised throughout the industry. made that it’s a ‘clean’ source of energy.” 44 11 February 2011 | farmer’s weekly AFP / / MORE MORE MORE G G G ES U U U G D D D MA I HER HER HER T T T EA EA EA ALLO H H H G Royalty enters the fray Colesberg Princess Irene of the Dutch royal family Deelfontein is adding her voice to the Karoo’s Noupoort Driefontein Merriman opposition. Her support is significant, Williston Richmond Steynsburg Loxton Meltonwold Middelburg bearing in mind Shell’s full name is Graaff-Reinet Hofmeyer “Royal Dutch Shell” and the Royal Fraserburg Three Sisters Nieu-Bethesda Middelpos Tarkastad Dutch family is said to have substantial Nelspoort Murraysburg Rietriver Cradock Beaufort West Winterberge shareholdings in the company. Pearston Bedford Princess Irene was not in South Cookhouse Africa at the time of the Graaff- Reinet meeting but she instructed the managers of her nature reserve in the Nieu Bethesda area to pledge her support and active participation in “To try complete an EMP in a couple of the fight against Shell’s application. weeks for the highly controversial fracking process they’re proposing – which has • Shell is proposing a fracking process in the Karoo, which could cause ecological damage never been done in the Karoo – is to risk worse than that of BP in the Gulf of Mexico. The process of possible ecological damage that could be hydraulic fracturing worse than BP in the Gulf,” said international • Shell failed to assure “affected parties” that they would compensate them in the event of Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, uses fluids business leader Johann Rupert, who owns contamination, destruction or depletion of pumped at high pressure to pulverise rock farms in the Karoo and is active in the and release the oil and gas trapped deep water sources and the natural environment. underground. Here are the details sustainable development of the region. of the “This fracking process is targeted for process: 4km to 5km underground. What happens 1. A well is drilled and lined with steel casing. if things go wrong? Shell doesn’t have 2. Holes are made by a special perforating enough assets in South Africa to cover gun shooting through the casing. a potential fallout of this nature. They’re 3. Under high pressure, fluid playing Russian roulette with the Karoo.” is pumped through the Farmer and environmental consultant holes and into the rock. Fritz Bekker describes fracking as “planting Pressure fractures the rock. chemical bombs underground”. 4. Fluid carrying sand is At Graaff-Reinet and other highly charged pumped into the fractures. “public participation meetings” involving 5. Gas pushes the fluid back “interested and affected parties” held out. Sand remains, holding across the Karoo, representatives from the fractures open. Shell and Golder, the company hired to 6. Natural gas trapped in the compile the EMP, failed to say where they rock travels through the would source the water required for the fractures and out of the well. SOURCE: DENVER POST RESEARCH CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE farmer’s weekly | 11 February 2011 45 feature water-intensive fracking process, lives there, irrespective of whether they stay “You want to come onto our land and do or what chemicals they would use. on farms or in the towns. Yet when we asked what you like, but you can’t tell us how Neither could they say how many Shell whether they think it’s responsible to you’ll compensate us if, for example, our boreholes they intended sinking per put together an EMP in a hurry and push livestock is affected by contaminated square kilometre and how they would ahead with their plans for exploration when water from your mining operations,” said guard against contamination, depletion or there could be irreversible consequences, Karoo farmer and Agri EC council member destruction of the region’s water systems. they were evasive and failed to comment.” Christo Botha at the Hofmeyr meeting, which more than 50 farmers, landowners ‘Allfarmersandtownsinthe A deafening silence and community members attended. Shell also failed to give any assurances or “We’re committed to health, safety Karoodependonthewater guarantees that they’ll compensate farmers, and sustainable development,” you’rediscussingandare landowners and communities in the event of Dodson reassured the gathering. severelywaterstressed,sogo contamination, destruction or depletion of “What about the chemicals you use backanddoyourhomework.’ water sources and the natural environment. in the fracking process?” interjected “We’re investigating the norms in a farmer in the front row. South Africa for compensation,” said “Yes, we do use chemicals, but we They also couldn’t say what research they Adam Dodson, Shell’s exploration haven’t decided which chemicals we’ll had done into the Karoo’s aquifer systems manager of unconventional oil and use. What I can tell you is that one of – a worrying omission, since leading gas new business, at a public meeting the chemicals is similar to a chemical geohydrologists have confirmed very little held in Hofmeyr on 24 January. used in ice cream,” said Dodson. is known about these. Consequently, no- Farmers responded by observing Pushed to list the chemicals, he one can say fracking won’t contaminate that there are no norms relating to declined, saying it’s “a long list”. Golder or decrease the yield of shallower aquifers this issue, because, as Dodson pointed assured those who asked for a copy of used by farmers and towns in the Karoo. out, “fracking for natural gas has never the list of chemicals that one would be “We welcome sustainable, been conducted in the Karoo”. provided, but this has yet to materialise. environmentally sensitive development, There was a deafening silence but Shell’s current approach could cause when Dodson was asked what the A precious resource irreversible damage to the water systems international best practices in terms Dodson’s PowerPoint presentation and ecology of the Karoo,” warned Rupert.

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