- JOHANNESBURG: Shell wants to use thirsty technology that could contaminate groundwater to extract natural gas from a semi-desert region of South Africa, but says people living there won’t be left dry.
Top Shell officials sat down with reporters in South Africa to try to offer reassurance about the proposal.
Exploration chief Graham Tiley acknowledges hydraulic fracturing, requires lots of water.
Tiley says Shell will dig wells or import from the sea to avoid competing for scarce water with residents of the Karoo.
Fracking is behind a natural gas boom in the US, where questions have been raised about its impact on the environment.
Shell South Africa chairman Bonang Mohale says the latest technology will be used to avoid contamination.