Climate protesters out in force ahead of Shell court ruling
A decision is due on if further environmental authorisation is needed for Shell’s gas exploration to proceed
30 May 2022 - 10:20
byPaul Burkhardt
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Protesters rallied in Cape Town on Saturday ahead of a court ruling on oil and gas exploration by Shell.
In December, community groups won a temporary halt to the company’s seismic survey off SA, pending a decision on whether further environmental authorisation was needed for the work to proceed. The case will reopen on Monday.
Demonstrators held signs that showed the Shell logo and read “stop all seismic blasting,” activity that they argue will harm local marine life and disrupt fishing, while the company maintains the practice has been well established and is in line with industry standards.
Efforts to block such activity have gained momentum in SA, echoing a wider movement against oil and gas companies as the world transitions to cleaner fuels. A separate survey off the country’s western coast was blocked earlier in 2022 after activists warned that the work would harm marine life.
The department of mineral resources and energy supports the exploitation of oil and gas, both of which are currently imported due to a lack of domestic production. France’s TotalEnergies is among companies hoping to develop gas discoveries made in the last few years.
Both Shell and TotalEnergies have also found oil in neighbouring Namibia, in the offshore Orange Basin that extends over the maritime border.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Climate protesters out in force ahead of Shell court ruling
A decision is due on if further environmental authorisation is needed for Shell’s gas exploration to proceed
Protesters rallied in Cape Town on Saturday ahead of a court ruling on oil and gas exploration by Shell.
In December, community groups won a temporary halt to the company’s seismic survey off SA, pending a decision on whether further environmental authorisation was needed for the work to proceed. The case will reopen on Monday.
Demonstrators held signs that showed the Shell logo and read “stop all seismic blasting,” activity that they argue will harm local marine life and disrupt fishing, while the company maintains the practice has been well established and is in line with industry standards.
Efforts to block such activity have gained momentum in SA, echoing a wider movement against oil and gas companies as the world transitions to cleaner fuels. A separate survey off the country’s western coast was blocked earlier in 2022 after activists warned that the work would harm marine life.
The department of mineral resources and energy supports the exploitation of oil and gas, both of which are currently imported due to a lack of domestic production. France’s TotalEnergies is among companies hoping to develop gas discoveries made in the last few years.
Both Shell and TotalEnergies have also found oil in neighbouring Namibia, in the offshore Orange Basin that extends over the maritime border.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
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