The Minister of Water and Sanitation has, in terms of sections 38(1) and 38(4) of the NWA, declared the following activity to be a controlled activity –
"The exploration and or production of onshore naturally occurring hydrocarbons that requires stimulation, including but not limited to hydraulic fracturing and or underground gasification, to extract, and any activity incidental thereto that may impact detrimentally on the water resource".