Shell Block Northern Cape Ultra Deep Exploration Drilling ESIA, West Coast, South Africa

Shell Offshore Upstream South Africa B.V. (Operator) and its Joint-Venture (JV) partners jointly hold an Exploration Right for Licence Block Northern Cape Ultra Deep (NCUD). The Operator is applying to undertake exploration and appraisal activities within Licence Block NCUD. The proposed activities within Licence Block NCUD include drilling up to 5 exploration and/or appraisal wells, vertical seismic profiling (VSP), well testing, plugging and abandonment of wells and associated geophysical surveys.

Block NCUD is located off the West Coast of South Africa, roughly between Port Nolloth and Saldanha Bay. The Block is approximately 300 km offshore, in water depths between 2 500 m and 3 200 m. The Area of Interest for drilling is approximately 5 254 square kilometres in extent.

Prior to the commencement of the Proposed Project, an Environmental Authorisation in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014, (GN R 982 of 2014), promulgated under the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (No. 107 of 1998) from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) is required.

SLR Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd (SLR), an independent firm of Environmental Assessment Practitioners, has been appointed by Shell to manage the environmental authorisation processes.

Status

On 30 June 2025 the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) granted and issued an Environmental Authorisation for the above-mentioned project in terms of the National Environment Management Act, 1998 (No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations 2014. This provides Shell with authorisation to, inter alia, undertake geophysical surveys and exploration well drilling activities within Block Northern Cape Ultra Deep (NCUD).

A copy of the notification letter and Environmental Authorisation can be viewed and downloaded below. Your attention is drawn to your right to lodge a formal appeal with the Appeal Administrator. In terms of Regulation 4(1) and 4(2) of the National Appeals Regulations 2025, an appellant must, within twenty (20) days from the date that the notification of the decision was sent to the registered Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) (i.e., by 29 July 2025) submit the appeal, in the prescribed form, to the Appeal Administrator, and submit a copy of the appeal to the Applicant (i.e., Shell). Please refer to the notification letter for more details.