The possible environmental effects of fracking exploration of gas on South Africa's Karoo region.

INTRODUCTION:
The Karoo region, in South Africa has been exposed to the new technology- the hydraulic fracturing, also known as the fracking-that is injected underground to drill natural gas. This technology or process has benefits and negative environmental effects on the Karoo, this effects will be explained in detail in the next parragraphs.
What is the Hydraulic fracturing (fracking)?According to Cooley and Donnelly (2012) hydraulic fracturing that is also known as fraction refers to the process by which a fluid- a mix of water, sand and chemical additives- is injected into wells under high pressure to create cracks and fissures in rock formations that improve the production of these wells. Hydraulic fracturing is standard practice for extracting natural gas from unconventional sources; including coal beds, shale and tight sands, and is increasingly being applied to conventional sources to improve their productivity.
This process of producing natural gas is used across the world, in countries such as the United State of America, Australia and South Africa. In South Africa, the fracking exploration of gas is in the Karoo region. The Karoo is a desert in the western section of South Africa. It is divided into two parts, the great Karoo and the little Karoo.

The possible environmental effects of fracking exploration of gas.

• The positive environmental effects on fracking of gas in South Africa’s Karoo

Fracking exploration of gas has both positive and negative environmental effects on the Karoo. According to Stevens (2011) natural gas is a critical feedstock to many chemical production processes, and has many environmental benefits over coal as a fuel for electricity generation; over electricity and traditional heating fuels in the industrial, commercial and residential sectors. Because natural gas has the lowest carbon content of all fossil fuel and not a mixture of other carbon containing compounds with other organic impurities, it is the cleanest "burning" fossil fuel, including lower emissions of sulphur, metal compounds and carbon dioxide.
The hydraulic fracturing has the environmental benefits on the Karoo. Its main focus is to produce the natural gas, in other words this process ensures that there is enough gas for individuals. Although hydraulic fracturing benefits the Karoo, there are also negative environmental effects.

• The negative environmental effects on fracking of gas in South Africa’s Karoo

According to Woods et al. (2011) the key risks on fracking exploration are as follows; contamination of water ground by fracturing fluids/mobilised contaminants arising from wellbore or casting failure. This means that the fluids that are used for this process will make water dirty. Pollution of land and surface water (potentially ground water via surface route) arising from spillage of fracturing additives. Also other impacts arising during construction such as noise, light pollution during well drilling or completion.
The hydraulic fracturing can be dangerous to the environment on to human beings because of the pollution of land and water that it causes due to the spillage of the additives, spillage from liquid waste storage, lagoons/ pits containing cutting or drilling mud of flow back water.

CONCLUSION:
Therefore hydraulic fracturing is a process or technology that produces natural gas. It uses chemicals, fluid additives and a lot of water for the production. This process gives individuals enough gas but it also contaminates water and pollutes the land. Therefore hydraulic fracturing brings both advantages and disadvantages in the Karoo.
　
Bibliography:
Cooley, H. & Donnelly, K. 2012. Hydraulic fracturing and water resources: separating the frack from the fiction. California: University of California.
Stevens, B. 2011. The benefits of shale gas for outweigh. Available:
http://oilprice.com/energy/natural-gas/the-benefits-of-shale-gas-far-outweigh-the-negatives-of-fracking [accessed 26 February 2013]Wood, R., Gilbert, P., Sharmina, M. Anderson, K. 2011. Tyndal Centre: for the climate change Research. Manchester: University of Manchester