Fracas brews over fracking

As the South African CBM industry creaks under the strain of a dispute over fracking, local eyes are increasingly considering the future of the 196 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas bound in rocks in the country's east. Fracking is a gas mining technique in which water mixed with corrosive chemicals is pumped down to great depths below the surface to fracture rocks and release gas bound in fissures in the rock.

Some studies link fracking with the contamination of water sources by chemicals and substances such as radioactivity, chromium-6 and diesel fuel. Local observers noted with caution last week as South African environmentalists and farmers dismissed Shell's environmental management plan, saying it did not address the rising concerns over fracking. Tongue in cheek headlines like "No Fracking Way" and "What The Frack!" have underlined the rising emotions in South Africa and the battle that awaits CBM developers in the region.