PROPOSED OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN FREE STATE: ER377 & ER378

This guide by Natural Justice provides information on proposed natural gas exploration in South Africa's Free State Province by Rhino Oil & Gas Exploration South Africa (Pty) Ltd. It details the scope of exploration rights ER377 and ER378, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, potential environmental and social risks, and instructions for public participation.

• Rhino Oil & Gas Exploration South Africa (Pty) Ltd is seeking to explore for natural gas through two exploration rights in the Free State Province: ER377, covering approximately 221,018 hectares between Koppies, Heilbron, Edenville, and Kroonstad; and ER378, covering approximately 49,000 hectares between Bothaville, Hoopstad, and Wesselbron.
• Proposed exploration activities include aeromagnetic surveys and the drilling of up to 20 wells using an onshore rig, with each well taking three to four weeks. The process requires significant water; for ER377, five boreholes are estimated to consume approximately 700,000 litres over five months.
• The project presents several environmental and social risks, including the potential for water depletion and contamination, soil degradation affecting agriculture and livestock, and air pollution from gas flaring and heavy machinery. Social concerns include land use conflicts with traditional lands and heritage sites, and limited long-term economic benefits for local communities due to the specialized nature of the jobs.
• The project is criticized for contradicting climate goals because it involves extracting natural gas, a fossil fuel. Methane emissions from this extraction are identified as a major driver of global warming that could increase climate-related risks in the Free State, such as drought and water scarcity.
• The projects have reached the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) phase, and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy must decide on Environmental Authorisation (EA). The public is encouraged to register as an Interested and Affected Party (I&AP) and submit comments on the draft EIA reports by 6 March 2025.

APA

Natural Justice (2025). PROPOSED OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN FREE STATE: ER377 & ER378. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rhino-Oil-Info-Pamphlet_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. PROPOSED OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN FREE STATE: ER377 & ER378. 2025. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rhino-Oil-Info-Pamphlet_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=PROPOSED OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN FREE STATE: ER377 & ER378 |date=February 2025 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rhino-Oil-Info-Pamphlet_FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2025proposed, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{PROPOSED OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN FREE STATE: ER377 \& ER378}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rhino-Oil-Info-Pamphlet_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }