TotalEnergies SE is preparing a new offshore drilling campaign in South Africa’s Deep Western Orange Basin.
- TotalEnergies plans an offshore drilling campaign in South Africa’s Deep Western Orange Basin.
- The company aims to drill up to seven wells, located 211 kilometres off the Saldanha Bay coast.
- Namibia’s recent oil discoveries have made the region a key exploration area.
TotalEnergies SE is preparing a new offshore drilling campaign in South Africa’s Deep Western Orange Basin, a region that stretches into waters where Namibia has made significant oil discoveries.
According to SLR Consulting, which is conducting an independent environmental assessment, Total’s South African unit plans to drill up to seven wells about 211 kilometres (131 miles) off the coast of Saldanha Bay. A draft assessment has been released for public comment until September 10, according to Bloomberg.
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Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanné stated during an earnings call last month that the company plans to commence drilling its South African prospects next year.
Shell plans to drill as many as five wells within the Northern Cape Ultra Deep license block off the coast of South Africa, according to a notice by SLR last year.
However, in recent years, environmental groups have successfully challenged several offshore exploration projects in South African courts.
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New oil frontier in Southern Africa
The new development comes as Total and its rival, Shell Plc, step up exploration plans following major discoveries in 2022 across the maritime border in Namibia, which have transformed the area into one of Africa’s most promising oil frontiers.
While the country has yet to produce any oil, Energy companies such as Total Energies and Shell have identified an estimated 2.6 billion barrels of reserves.
These discoveries have led to the projection that the country will be able to produce oil by 2030. Some of the discovery hotspots in the country include Orange Basin, Luderitz, Kavango, and Walvis basins.
