Badimo Gas (Pty) Ltd is proposing to explore for coal bed methane in the Amersfoort North Extension application area located in south-western Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The exploration area is located directly north of Amersfoort Town, continuing to the Vaal River in the north.
Exploration for coal bed methane will be carried out as a phased, iterative process. The work will include a desktop phase involving the evaluation of available data and the creation of geological models, culminating in the drilling of boreholes at selected sites.
The application for an exploration right was lodged with the Petroleum Agency South Africa in terms of the requirements of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002. The Petroleum Agency South Africa (PASA) accepted the application on 23 October 2006 and required that public consultation be conducted and an environmental management programme be developed (Ref: 30/5/2/3/2/56 ER).
Coal bed methane or CBM, is an abundant fossil energy resource which is found in association with nearly all coal beds where it is formed as a by-product of the coal formation process. The methane gas is adsorbed within the structure of the coal and is kept there by overburden and hydraulic pressure. CBM can be extracted by pumping water out of the coal bed thereby reducing the pressure and allowing the gas to escape to the surface. The purpose of the exploration will be to explore for CBM in the Amersfoort North Extension area.
CBM is a relatively clean and safe energy resource that can be used in applications such as cooking, heating and the generation of electricity. In South Africa short term projections of the electricity supply and demand indicate a shortfall in peak electricity generation capacity by 2006 and in the country’s base-load capacity by 2010. CBM exploration efforts are thus strategically important in identifying and assessing potential sources of natural gas which could provide alternative energy sources to address South Africa’s growing demand. In addition methane gas provides a cleaner form of energy than coal and oil as it gives off less carbon dioxide per unit of energy released while producing more heat per gram than other complex hydrocarbons.
The Amersfoort North Extension exploration area is considered favourable for the occurrence of CBM due to the known existence of boreholes that are currently releasing methane or have done so in the past over a long period of time (+60 years) and the presence extensive coal deposits at depths, adequate for CBM development and preservation.
The proposed exploration programme will be carried out in two phases. The first phase involves a desktop study in order to identify target sites for exploration drilling. This will include a review of available information, the creation of geological and financial models and the identification of target sites for the sampling of the coal bed methane resource.
The second phase of exploration will require the drilling of boreholes to depths of between 200 and 700 m. Boreholes will be drilled using mobile rotary diamond drilling rigs that may operate 24 hours a day. Drilling at each site is likely to take about 3 weeks. The footprint of disturbance for an exploration rig and equipment is generally less than 1 000 m2 and sites will be accessed using existing farm roads where available. The budget for the initial phase of investigations allows for the drilling of approximately 10 boreholes within the exploration area.
The rig will be managed by a site supervisor and operated by a crew of 10 persons who will be housed at the site or nearby. Water required for the operation of the drilling rig will be obtained locally. All waste generated at the drilling site will be collected, removed from site and disposed of at an appropriate waste facility.
Assuming the targeted coal seams are encountered during drilling, cores will be raised to the surface and sections inserted into sampling canisters. The samples will be taken to a laboratory for testing and analysis.
Once the drilling and sampling of a borehole is complete the hole will be sealed using cement. If the site is to be used in the future the hole will be capped with a borehole plinth. On completion of the drilling and sampling, all equipment will be removed and the compacted surfaces will be scarified. Soils that have been contaminated with oils or greases will be remediated in-situ. Natural vegetation re-establishment will be monitored and supplemented as necessary.
The potential biophysical and socio-economic environmental impacts of the project, both beneficial and adverse, were assessed during the impact assessment. Given the limited duration and extent of the prospecting activities, the impacts on the environment are not likely to be significant. A number of the impacts may however be residual and continue beyond the cessation of drilling activities if the appropriate mitigation measures are not put in place. The actions required to address the impacts identified in the environmental impact assessment are detailed in the environmental management programme. The environmental management programme provides an elaboration of how to implement the mitigation measures documented in the environmental impact assessments in order to minimise negative and enhance positive impacts that may occur during set-up, operation and rehabilitation of drilling sites.
All relevant owners of surface rights, mineral rights and servitudes will be consulted during the identification of target sites. It is anticipated that most exploration targets will be located on private farming land. It is essential that individual landowners are consulted in a timely manner regarding site access and potential disturbance to farming activities. Issues related to trespassing, farm security and stock theft also need to be addressed. These impacts will be mitigated through the development of a land use agreement. A forum through which land owners and affected parties may contact the exploration team will be established. All complaints are to be investigated and where possible remediation measures put in place.
Provision has been made for an environmental site assessment of each target area, which is to be undertaken prior to site establishment. Ecological and cultural sensitivities of the site as well as surrounding areas that could be disturbed by exploration activities will be assessed and alternative sites with lower sensitivities selected in order to prevent impacts of significance. Where necessary site specific action plans are to be developed to further protect sensitive fauna and flora. The site assessment will also give cognisance to potential disturbance to land use activities and sensitive receptors (such as noise or dust) in the vicinity and efforts will be taken to keep these to a minimum.
Soils may become compacted or contaminated due to the spillage of fuels, oils, greases and other hazardous chemicals (e.g. laboratory chemicals) that are used on site. There is also the potential for erosion, particularly if access roads are developed on site. It is thus essential that the footprint area of disturbance be minimised and activities contained. This will involve the clear demarcation of areas to be used for drilling activities. Erosion control measures are to be implemented on steep slopes.
Impermeable surfaces and temporary bunds will be constructed in order to contain chemical. Given the limited duration of drilling activities it is suggested that the clearance of vegetation be limited to areas that require levelling for the establishment of the drilling rig. Vegetation will serve to reduce the erosion potential of soils in disturbed areas.
Access roads should follow the natural contours as far as possible in order to further reduce the erosion potential. On completion of the exploration activities at a particular site, the scarification of compacted surfaces and the remediation of contaminated soils will be undertaken in order to promote the natural re-establishment of vegetation.
Conservation plans for the region have identified areas of importance for the conservation of biodiversity within the grasslands. Disturbance to these areas would negatively impact conservation efforts. A few sites within the exploration area have been identified as having a high conservation importance and large portions of the exploration area are of some concern for biodiversity conservation. Areas of high biodiversity value will be avoided during the selection of targets. The environmental site assessment will ensure that impacts to areas where there is some concern for biodiversity conservation will be kept to a minimum.
Water is required for the operation of the drilling rig, which will either be sourced from nearby water courses or existing boreholes. Access to drill water and potable water will be agreed with the land owner prior to site establishment in the form of a land use agreement. Water use will however be minimal and there will be no significant impact on the water resources.
Boreholes that are drilled for exploration will be sealed or capped to ensure that no gas escapes. This is essential, as methane is a greenhouse gas that should be prevented from entering into the atmosphere.
No impacts of high significance have been identified for exploration activities within the Amersfoort North Extension application area. The current assessment is however limited by the fact that target drilling sites will only be identified in Phase 2 of the exploration programme. An environmental site assessment of each target site will be conducted to ensure that site specific impacts are kept to a minimum. There needs to be flexibility in the relocation of the sites in order to ensure that sensitive sites are avoided as far as possible. It is also essential that land owners are informed and a land use agreement developed in terms of site access, location of drill sites and camps, the surface area of sites, the use of existing roads, water supply and rehabilitation. However, given the limited number of drill sites, the potentially small area of disturbance and the short duration of activities at any particular site there is no environmental reason why the proposed exploration activities should not continue. |
