still keen, page-4

agree South Africa could be anything... and with a continued push to develop and explore the region we could see it emerge as a key asset...

South Africa still lack expertise in unconventional gas deposits within governmental authorities as well as the lack of incentives for developing gas businesses are the major hurdles facing the sector at the moment. It has been proven that burnt (or used) CBM is 22 times less detrimental to the environment than when it is left to escape into the atmosphere unburnt.... so the environmental card will no doubt be important.

CBM has a 21 times greater heat trapping value when released into the atmosphere than carbon dioxide....It is a no-brainer that we should look at every opportunity to remove methane from the atmosphere, and one of the best ways to do this is to use it in energy production. To leave it to escape into the atmosphere is a crime against humanity...lol...

There is a mindset change that needs to happen in South Africa so that they can start effectively using this resource which up untill now has been let escape into the atmosphere.

Although one of the major problems facing South Africa is that, even if the gas is mined, there is the issue of where to market it. It would be possible to use the methane to generate electricity, using strategically placed combined-cycle gas turbines, such as the ones currently being built by Eskom, in Atlantis and Mossel Bay, as well as at the Majuba power station.

While there is an important job to be done by the new CBM players in South Africa in creating markets, there is also an important role for government to assist this industry to get off the ground...

In October 2006, Anglo Coal had completed its initial pilot-phase modelling of its CBM project, located in the eastern portion of the Waterberg basin, an area estimated to contain up to one-trillion cubic feet of recoverable methane gas.This is still the most advanced CBM project in South Africa.... hopefully MPO's exploration program leads to it becomming a major player in the CBM industry in SA...

my opinion on South Africa is that, if monopolies can be broken down, huge opportunities exist to facilitate the best use of this energy source....and it should provove to be the real jewel in the crown....