REGULATION OF UPSTREAM GAS AND PETROLEUM ACTIVITIES CERTAIN ISSUES ARISING IN RELATION TO PASA’S ROLE

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) issued a statement to the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) raising concerns regarding transparency, environmental compliance, and climate impact assessments for onshore gas and petroleum activities. The CER highlights a lack of public information on rights holders and questions the legality of specific projects and the use of hydraulic fracturing.

• The CER identifies a significant lack of transparency regarding onshore gas rights in South Africa. Based on a December 2021 Gas Master Plan Basecase Report, there are 24 rights for onshore gas exploration and production granted to 7 companies. The CER reports that five of these companies have "no public profile, do not respond to correspondence and are simply not contactable," and that PASA has failed to provide contact information for these entities despite requests.
• The CER asserts that Climate Change Impact Assessments (CCIAs) have not been required for applicants who were awarded onshore exploration and production rights, nor have they been conducted by the companies holding those rights. The CER argues this is a critical omission given the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C and the potential for gas production to cause groundwater contamination and greenhouse gas emissions, specifically methane.
• The CER raises concerns about regulatory certainty and legality regarding specific operations. Specifically, it questions whether a 'pilot production project' by Afro Energy is lawful, as it is being conducted under an Exploration Right rather than a production right. Additionally, the CER seeks clarification on whether hydraulic fracturing—which is a listed activity requiring environmental authorisation under 2021 amendments to the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations—has been authorised for any rights under PASA.
• The CER expresses concern over the state's capacity to monitor and enforce environmental laws in the nascent gas industry, citing a history of "negligible environmental compliance monitoring and enforcement" in South Africa's mining sector. The CER has requested that PASA disclose the number and function of designated environmental mineral resource inspectors (EMRIs) for the oil and gas sector.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2022). REGULATION OF UPSTREAM GAS AND PETROLEUM ACTIVITIES CERTAIN ISSUES ARISING IN RELATION TO PASA’S ROLE. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Annexure-A3.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. REGULATION OF UPSTREAM GAS AND PETROLEUM ACTIVITIES CERTAIN ISSUES ARISING IN RELATION TO PASA’S ROLE. 2022. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Annexure-A3.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=REGULATION OF UPSTREAM GAS AND PETROLEUM ACTIVITIES CERTAIN ISSUES ARISING IN RELATION TO PASA’S ROLE |date=29 September 2022 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Annexure-A3.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2022regulation, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{REGULATION OF UPSTREAM GAS AND PETROLEUM ACTIVITIES CERTAIN ISSUES ARISING IN RELATION TO PASA’S ROLE}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Annexure-A3.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }