In 2023, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources granted an Environmental Authorisation (EA) to TotalEnergies EP South Africa S.A.S for the drilling of ultra deep water exploration wells in the northern area of the Deep Water Orange Basin (DWOB) block, approximately 200 km offshore of South Africa’s west coast. Administrative appeals against this decision were refused. The Aukotowa Primary Fishing Cooperative, The Green Connection, and Natural Justice have approached the Western Cape High Court to set aside these decisions.
The organisations are asking the courts to review and set aside both the Director- General’s decision to grant the EA and the Minister’s decision to dismiss the internal appeals. The organisations will also request that instead of sending the matter back to the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources to reconsider with additional information, that the Court itself issue an order refusing the authorisation. The review application is based on four grounds.
This factsheet summarises some of the details about the case.
The case will be heard in Cape Town on 23 and 24 March 2026.
