summary

Exploration and production require rights under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), environmental authorizations under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations, water use licenses under the National Water Act (NWA), and heritage permits under the National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA).

Applications for these permissions must be submitted simultaneously to relevant authorities.

• • Notify interested and affected parties (I&APs) about the project.
  • Define project scope, location, and need.
  • Identify environmental sensitivities, key issues, and specialist assessments.
  • Document public participation and site selection processes.

• • General project information, including location, scope, and contact details.
  • Supporting documentation, such as EAP and specialist profiles, CVs, and declarations of independence.
  • Plan of study for scoping, including screening reports, specialist assessments, and public participation plans.

• • Provide a consolidated assessment report for all decision-making authorities.
  • Assess environmental, social, and cultural impacts, propose mitigation measures, and determine residual risks.
  • Facilitate public participation and ensure compliance with legislative and policy requirements.

• • Chapter 1: Summary for decision-makers.
  • Chapter 2: Detailed project description.
  • Chapter 3: Project scope, including activities, technologies, and legislative context.
  • Chapter 4: Public participation report, including methods, outcomes, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Chapter 5: Specialist impact assessments (e.g., agricultural, biodiversity, climate change, air quality, seismicity, socio-economic, heritage, hydrology, hydrogeology, traffic, and radio frequency interference).
  • Chapter 6: Plans, layouts, and designs (e.g., water/wastewater management, solid waste management, emergency plans, well layout/design).
  • Chapter 7: Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) with mitigation measures.
  • Chapter 8: Financial provisioning plans and calculations.
  • Chapter 9: Supporting documentation (e.g., EAP and specialist information, public participation records, impact assessments).

• • Detailed protocols for assessing impacts on agriculture, biodiversity, climate change, air quality, seismicity, socio-economic factors, heritage, hydrology, and hydrogeology.
  • Each assessment must include findings, mitigation measures, residual impacts, and monitoring plans.

• • A comprehensive public participation process is required, including advertising, meetings, stakeholder registration, and consultation.
  • Special attention must be given to rural communities and accessible communication methods.

• • Baseline monitoring must be conducted for at least 24 months before fracturing operations.
  • Operational monitoring plans must ensure impacts remain within acceptable levels and include ongoing assessments of environmental, social, and cultural impacts.

• • The MIR aligns with various South African laws, including NEMA, NWA, MPRDA, NHRA, and the Kwa-Zulu Natal Amafa and Research Institute Act.
  • Applications must comply with prescribed protocols and guidelines for impact assessments and monitoring.

• • Streamline the process for obtaining environmental permissions.
  • Ensure comprehensive assessment and mitigation of environmental, social, and cultural impacts.
  • Promote informed decision-making and environmental protection.

The document outlines the following types of specialist impact assessments required for the exploration and production of onshore petroleum using fracturing technology:

1. 1. Agricultural Impact Assessment ​
   2. Terrestrial Biodiversity Impact Assessment ​
   3. Aquatic Biodiversity Impact Assessment and Wetland/Riparian Delineation Study ​
   4. Animal Species Impact Assessment ​
   5. Plant Species Impact Assessment
   6. Noise and Artificial Lighting Impact Assessment ​
   7. Climate Change Impact Assessment ​
   8. Air Quality Impact Assessment ​
   9. Seismicity Risk Assessment ​
   10. Socio-Economic Impact Assessment ​
   11. Heritage Impact Assessment ​
   12. Hydrology Impact Study (Surface Water) ​
   13. Hydrogeology Study (Groundwater) ​
   14. Traffic Impact Assessment ​
   15. Radio Frequency Interference Study ​

Each assessment must be conducted by qualified specialists and include detailed findings, mitigation measures, residual impacts, and monitoring plans. ​