Shell Offshore Upstream South Africa B.V. and its Joint Venture partners hold an Exploration Right (ER) for the Licence Block Northern Cape Ultra Deep (NCUD) off the west coast of South Africa. To exercise their ER, Shell and its partners have conducted an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for their proposed activities. The draft ESIA report is currently available for public comment.
Comments must be submitted no later than 13 December 2024. SLR Consulting is the Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) that compiled the ESIA report.
If the project is approved, drilling activities would begin in 2026 or 2027. This ESIA assumes that two exploration wells will be drilled in the first year and three in the second year.
The proposed project area extends from about 300km offshore of Port Nolloth south along the western coastline towards Strandfontein, about 5,254km2 in size. The area is in waters of approximately 2,500 m to 3,200 m deep.
This pamphlet was developed in December 2024.
