Offshore oil exploration gets green light
The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has given the green light to Sasol Africa (Pty) Ltd (Sasol) and Eni South Africa BV (Eni)
OIL and gas exploration just 62km off the coast of Richards Bay will go ahead following the granting of environmental authorisation.
The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has given the green light to Sasol Africa (Pty) Ltd (Sasol) and Eni South Africa BV (Eni).
They are seeking to explore for hydrocarbons on the East Coast, Durban and Zululand basins within Offshore Block ER236.
Sasol said the Durban and Zululand basins are of interest because they sit at the southern end of the Mozambique
Channel owing to significant discoveries made in the north of Mozambique.
They have been granted authorisation to drill up to six exploration wells within two areas of interest.
The expected drilling depth will be between approximately 3 800 metres and 4 100 metres from the sea surface, through the seabed to the target depth in the northern area of interest and around 5 100 metres in the southern area.
Environmental activist group, Oceans Not Oil rejected the decision saying the department has ignored public outcry.
‘The grounds on which the authorisation was granted are not environmental, but procedural.
‘This after hundreds of interested and affected parties and members of the public objected to this, highlighting how these companies are going into an environment we know little about.
‘Of the little knowledge we have of these areas, what we do know is that they will be destroyed or at least changed in perpetuity.
‘We will never know what they have destroyed, because we have never had the funding to allow our scientists and conservationists to sample or see the seabed at those depths, to merely explore and protect our beautiful seabed in KZN,’ the group said in a statement.
Coastwatch KZN chairperson Chris Wright also expressed concern and condemned what he called the exploitation of the ocean.
‘We do not support this at all and our role now is to ensure compliance and that we fight to mitigate any negative impact on marine life,’ he said.
The public has until 30 September to submit written objections.
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