Mantashe banking on lifting of moratorium on shale gas exploration

The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, said shale gas is a potential ‘game changer’ and the sooner the country taps into this resource and starts exploring parts of the Karoo, the better.

Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe is banking on lifting the moratorium on shale gas exploration, so that the government can start work in the sector.

Mantashe said shale gas is a potential “game changer” and the sooner the country taps into this resource and starts exploring parts of the Karoo, the better.

On Wednesday, he stressed the need for shale gas in growing the energy sector while tabling his department’s budget in the National Assembly.

Mantashe said shale gas is not off the country’s radar and all they’re waiting for are the regulations to be finalised, which will manage the exploration process.

He said the country can get moving on the exploration once the relevant authority gives his department the thumbs up.

“Once the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment gives us the regulations, we lift the moratorium on shale gas. So, shale gas will be a game changer once we start exploring it.”

But Freedom Front (FF) Plus member of Parliament (MP) Wynand Boshoff warned that the Karoo is a very sensitive area, and they don’t trust the department.

“The track record of mining in South Africa is not such that we want to leave the future of the Karoo in the hands of this department.”

Most opposition parties rejected the budget, saying it doesn’t do enough to address challenges in the mining sector.