Large Methane Cloud Has Been Seen Hovering Above the Skies of Mzansi
- A methane cloud described as being large has been captured by satellites hovering over South Africa
- The captured image pinpointed a hub of mining activity 125 kilometres from Johannesburg where petroleum giant Sasol Ltd. runs an operation
- The fuel giant released a statement in which it said its own analysis clears them as the source of the greenhouse gas
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While many South Africans were deep in the throes of celebrating National Youth Day on 16 June, a cloud of methane was recorded by satellites near one of the country's coal mines.
The man-made occurrence has led to discussions about the risk to the environment associated with the use of fossil fuel sources at mines. According to mybroadband.co.za methane, a potent greenhouse gas, traps roughly 84 times more heat than carbon dioxide in its first 20 years in the atmosphere.
Source: Getty Images
The methane is reported to have been emitted at an estimated rate of 65 metric tons an hour on May 10, according to a separate report from Kayrros SAS.
The cloud which was spotted about 125 kilometres east of Johannesburg, in an area where Sasol has mines and other operations, has scientists on high alert with attempts to find the exact culprits ongoing. In a press release Sasol said:
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"We didn’t record any elevated methane levels and emissions from our mining operations are highly diluted and dispersed over a wide geographical area,” the statement read.
Analyzers sceptical petrol giant is responsible
Mining giant Anglo American responding by saying its open-cast Isibonelo mine located near Sasol in the same area was unlikely to emit the estimated levels.
In its statement, Sasol – who develop and commercialise technologies in addition to a range of other product streams – confirmed that its analyzers didn’t record readings greater than 0.05 per cent on average that day.
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This is despite Kayrros finding two other plumes in the vicinity on 27 May, which it estimated had emissions rates of "more than 40 tons of methane per hour." Observations from space, where the large methane cloud over a part of South Africa was seen, can be seasonal due to cloud cover, precipitation and varying light intensity.
List of coal mines in South Africa
When you think of South Africa, you think of lots of gold and diamonds. But did you know that Africa’s biggest economy also owns vast reserves of a vital mineral that is responsible for powering the nation’s industry?
The country is easily the biggest producer of hard coal in Africa, and it is a significant global player. The Source Watch ranks Mzansi at number five, just behind China, the USA, India, and Australia; while World Atlas ranks the country at number seven with Indonesia and Russia taking fifth and sixth place, respectively, after the first four.
It is also estimated that about 90 per cent of South Africa’s electricity production depends on this mineral. The country is also ranked the sixth-largest exporter after managing an estimated 74 million tons exported to Europe, China, and India.
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Source: Briefly News
