TotalEnergies is seeking environmental authorisation to drill up to seven exploration wells in the southern part of its Deep Water Orange Basin (DWOB) block off the west coast of South Africa, documents from environmental consultants SLR showed on Tuesday.
Oil companies including Shell are looking towards South Africa's west coast, close to the border with Namibia, where a raft of discoveries in its prolific Orange Basin holds the promise of more finds further south where the basin extends.
TotalEnergies EP South Africa (TEEPSA), the operator, is targeting a new area in the south of DWOB, which is found in very deep water some 200 kilometres (124 miles) from shore between Port Nolloth and Saldanha Bay.
The company received authorisation in 2023 to explore for oil and gas in the northern part of DWOB.
"TEEPSA now wants to explore for oil and gas in a new area of interest within the southern part of the licence block," a document from SLR environmental consultancy showed.
SLR is an independent environmental consultancy that has been commissioned to undertake an environmental impact assessment, part of the regulatory process needed before TotalEnergies can commence any exploration activities.
The area of interest where the French company, which earlier this year relinquished interest in other blocks offshore South Africa, plans to explore is almost 15,000 km2.
TotalEnergies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Exploration offshore South Africa has been hampered by a series of court challenges by environmental activists opposed to fossil fuels and concerned over their impact on the livelihood of fishing communities.
(Reuters - Reporting by Wendell Roelf, Editing by Louise Heavens)
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