Fracking has put the agricultural and tourism sectors in a spin in the Northern KZN area. This follows applications by Rhino Oil to test for oil and gas deposits in the area. A recent High Court decision has put exploration on hold for now but fracking has become a concern for many – especially after the devastating drought, which we are yet to overcome.
It is with this in mind that Talana Museum will host a conference on this sensitive subject on Saturday, July 29, from 10am to be addressed by US professor, Devan McGranahan.
Prof McGranahan has been a visiting researcher in the Grassland Science department at the University of KZN in Pietermaritzburg. Back home in the USA, he studied fracking impacts on agricultural resources and rural communities and is interested in potential impacts of fracking in SA.

More on gas and oil surveys in the area:

Court rules against oil, gas exploration in the area

“My UKZN colleagues and I are keen to develop some proactive “lessons learned” from the US experience with fracking ahead of major activity in SA. But we need more scope on the issue. Meeting with those active on the ground would benefit us, as this will be an opportunity to visit sites that have been, or are likely to be, affected by fracking exploration. We are particularly interested in agricultural areas (veld, crop, dairy, and small-scale farming),” Prof McGranahan told the Courier.
He is seeking to meet small focus groups especially those who attended the Rhino Oil public meetings last year and earlier this year.
For more information contact Pam at Talana Museum.