Durban - Anger against petroleum giant, Total which is planning to drill for oil and gas off Mossel Bay continues to swell with the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance calling for the online public participation process to be stopped.
“It is not known why there is an urgent need to proceed with this application during the current state of emergency. The commercial objectives or advantages to be achieved by the proponent proceeding with the application at this stage cannot outweigh the rights of interested and affected parties to reasonable and meaningful participation,” she said.
Odayar said the planned drilling amounted to an “ocean grab” as Total intended drilling 10 more wells near a marine protected area that was a spawning ground for Kingklip and other species of fish. Odaya, however, warned that South Africa must not forget its international commitments, like the Paris Agreement, to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions within its jurisdiction.
“Nevertheless, because like any sub-soil asset, natural assets of South Africa in the form of oil and gas should be revered, it is imperative that the competent authority, before taking a decision, considers how much wealth is being taken away from South Africa by multinational corporations, without sufficient profit sharing, taxes and royalties, and reinvestment. This is consistent with best practice in natural capital accounting,” it said.
A statement by Total on its website in February 2019 said that it had made a significant gas condensate discovery on the Brulpadda prospects, located on Block 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin, 175km off South Africa’s southern coastline.