The Texas-based oil exploration company Rhino Resources has cut back on the scale of its proposed oil and gas exploration bid in KZN after a major public backlash. The company’s local subsidiary, Rhino Oil and Gas Exploration, lodged an exploration application early last year covering a massive 1 500 000ha chunk of the province and nearly 10 000 farms. Now the scale of its exploration bid has been reduced to 850 000 ha and about 6 700 properties in central KZN. Environmental consultants acting for the company acknowledged that there had been “extremely strong” and almost unanimous public opposition to the exploration plan, which could ultimately involve hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”). The public have now been invited to comment on the draft environmental impact studies before October 14. Six public feedback meetings have been scheduled in Richmond, Colenso, Mooi River, Howick, Greytown and Dundee from October 3 to 7. For a map of the revised exploration area, see www.ccaenvironmental.co.za (IOL).
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Image from Midlands Conservancies Forum.