- TotalEnergies EP South Africa (TEEPSA) and its partners have applied for Environmental Authorization to undertake exploration activities in Deep Water Orange Basin (DWOB) off the West Coast of South Africa.
- In February, TotalEnergies made a significant discovery of light oil with associated gas on the Venus prospect in the Orange Basin offshore southern Namibia.
TotalEnergies EP South Africa (TEEPSA) and its partners have applied for Environmental Authorization to undertake exploration activities in Deep Water Orange Basin (DWOB) off the West Coast of South Africa. They plan to explore oil and gas resources in offshore South Africa, where environmentalists have already blocked Shell’s exploration rights. TotalEnergies intends to drill one well in the Deep Water Orange Basin, and following promising results from environmental assessments, the company could proceed to drill nine more wells.
In February, TotalEnergies made a significant discovery of light oil with associated gas on the Venus prospect in the Orange Basin offshore southern Namibia, north to the waters offshore South Africa, where the company plans to explore for more oil. According to the Senior Vice President of Exploration at TotalEnergies, Kevin McLachlan, “The initial results are auspicious” in the so-called Orange Basin”.
However, this exploration and drilling campaign in the Orange Basin offshore South Africa could meet resistance from local communities and environmental groups. In September, the High Court in Makhanda ruled that Shell’s exploration right to conduct seismic surveys on the Wild Coast of South Africa was granted unlawfully and therefore set aside, resulting in a monumental win for the planet.