Prospective policy safeguards to mitigate hydrogeological risk pathways in advance of shale gas development in the Karoo basin, South Africa
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Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Policies surrounding energy development are frequently implemented in response to known or perceived problems. South Africa is in a unique position to develop prospective policies that build on knowledge gained from elsewhere. This paper provides a prospective analysis of hydrogeological risk pathways and vulnerability attributes in advance of anticipated shale gas operations in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. The ‘hazard-pathways-receptors’ approach is applied to define the hydrogeologic system in the context of potential sources of water resource contamination. This case study focuses on two critical hydrogeological risk pathways: regional groundwater flow and discrete structural features. Depending on the targeted area (hydro-litho-structural domain, depth of target, presence of aquitard, intrusion ratio), the capacity of deep natural pathways to enable hydraulic fracturing fluids, chemicals, or produced water to reach shallow groundwater, will be reduced or difficult.
Description
Keywords
Adaptive management policies, Hydrogeologic risk pathways, Karoo basin, Shale gas
Citation
Pietersen, K. et al. (2021). Prospective policy safeguards to mitigate hydrogeological risk pathways in advance of shale gas development in the Karoo basin, South Africa. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 12,100499