Prospective policy safeguards to mitigate hydrogeological risk pathways in advance of shale gas development in the Karoo basin, South Africa

Policies surrounding energy development are frequently implemented in response to known or perceived problems. South Africa is a unique position develop prospective policies that build on knowledge gained from elsewhere. This paper provides analysis of hydrogeological risk pathways and vulnerability attributes advance anticipated shale gas operations the Karoo Basin Africa. The ‘hazard-pathways-receptors’ approach applied define hydrogeologic system context potential sources water resource contamination. case study focuses two critical pathways: regional groundwater flow discrete structural features. Depending targeted area (hydro-litho-structural domain, depth target, presence aquitard, intrusion ratio), capacity deep natural enable hydraulic fracturing fluids, chemicals, produced reach shallow groundwater, will be reduced difficult. Deep artesian could however intercepted at different depths and, based past exploration Karoo, into horizontal fractures openings characterising aquifers: sills-ring complexes, lithological contacts, transgressive across dolerite dykes. However, above-ground wastewater management safeguards needed protect quality degradation due a) flowback b) stray and/or c) spills illicit discharges introduce contaminants resources. describes systematic evaluate informs adaptive African