TEEPSA - Proposed Offshore Exploration Well Drilling in Block 5/6/7, South-West Coast, South Africa (DMRE Ref: TEEPSA 12/3/224)

TEEPSA applied to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) for Environmental Authorisation (EA) to drill up to five wells within an area of interest in Block 5/6/7 off the South-West Coast of South Africa. The area of interest is located offshore roughly between Cape Town and Cape Agulhas, approximately 60 km from the coast at its closest point in water depths between 700 m and 3 200 m.

SLR Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd (“SLR”) was appointed as the independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner to undertake the ESIA process for the proposed project.

Status

On 17 April 2023, TEEPSA was granted Environmental Authorisation for the above-mentioned project.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) received 18 compliant appeals during the statutory appeal period.On 26 September 2023, DFFE issued its decision (dated 24 September 2023) on the appeals lodged against the above Environmental Authorisation.DFFE confirmed the Environmental Authorisation with the same conditions.However, one condition in Paragraph 5.5.3 of the Environmental Authorisation was amended (to ensure drilling stops and that SAHRA and PASA are notified if an archaeological site or shipwreck is revealed during the predrilling seabed survey), and a new condition was included (the employment of a liaison officer to address any questions and concerns that small-scale fishers and their communities may have and to keep them appraised throughout the process).

Please do not hesitate to contact the TEEPSA team via email (info.teepsa@totalenergies.com) should you have any further queries in this regard.

The following documents are available for information purposes:

• DFFE Appeal Decision
• Environmental Authorisation
• Final ESIA Report