TotalEnergies targets new offshore exploration area
Documents from environmental consultants SLR on Tuesday showed that TotalEnergies has requested environmental authorization to drill up seven exploration wells off the west coast South Africa in the southern part Deep Water Orange Basin.
Shell and other oil companies are looking at the west coast of South Africa, near the Namibian border, where recent discoveries in the Orange Basin promise more to come further south, as the basin extends.
TotalEnergies EP South Africa, the operator, has targeted a new area south of DWOB. This is located in very deep waters about 200 kilometres from the shore, between Port Nolloth Bay and Saldanha Bay.
The company was granted permission to explore for oil in the northern part DWOB in 2023.
Documents from SLR Environmental consultancy revealed that "TEEPSA wants to explore for gas and oil in a new region of interest within the south part of the license block".
SLR is a private environmental consultancy which has been contracted to carry out an environmental impact analysis as part of the regulatory requirements before TotalEnergies could begin any exploration activities.
Nearly 15,000 km2 is the area that the French company plans to explore, after earlier this year giving up interest in other offshore blocks off South Africa.
TotalEnergies didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment.
Environmental activists who oppose fossil fuels are concerned about their impact on fishing communities. They have filed a number of court cases to halt exploration offshore South Africa.
(source: Reuters)
