South Africa’s plan to unlock one of the world’s largest shale gas resources has encountered a new challenge after scientists identified previously unknown fault lines beneath the Karoo Basin, raising concerns about potential seismic risks linked to future exploration.
Researchers from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Department of Geological Sciences have called for increased monitoring of the region after discovering evidence of a fault system capable of generating earthquakes in an area earmarked for shale gas development.
According to Reuters, the study examined an earthquake swarm near Leeu Gamka in the Western Cape that began in 2007, an area previously considered to have limited seismic activity.
Since then, the region has recorded at least 66 earthquakes, including one measuring magnitude 4.8 on the Richter scale.
Lead author Benjamin Whitehead told Reuters that the findings show that critically stressed faults already exist beneath parts of the Karoo Basin.
