FOR the past three years, two world leaders in the oil and gas industry teamed up to do comprehensive research on the ocean floor between Durban and Richards Bay.
American multi-national oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil’s Exploration and Production South Africa (EMEPSAL), in collaboration with Impact Africa (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Impact Oil and Gas Limited), have conducted two seismic surveys on a mammoth 9050km² area covering East Coast’s basins.
Now the energy giants hope to renew their Exploration Right with the Petroleum Agency South Africa (Pasa) for another two years to better understand rock formations below the seabeds and finally determine if the rock does in fact contain oil and gas.
‘EMEPSAL is proposing to conduct additional seismic surveys and other exploration activities during the renewal period,’ the organisation said in its application notice.
‘In addition to seismic surveys, optional surveys include airborne geophysical surveys, multibeam bathymetry surveys, surveys of the seabed using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), sediment and water sampling, as well as seabed heat flow measurements.’
More explorers
EMEPSAL and Impact are not the only oil and gas players studying this marine playing field.
Smaller oil and gas companies such as Sasol Petroleum International and Silver Wave Energy have also joined the local offshore arena.
According to Pasa, Zululand’s basins have shown immense promise in the last few years as a ‘large untested delta system’ with seismic evidence of submarine fans, turbidites and sand-filled channel systems.
Investors have also been attracted to the area having well-developed infrastructure with existing gas pipelines and refineries as well as being close to industrial markets and the Port of Richards Bay.
However, many environmental activists including iSimangaliso Wetland Park’s management, have vehemently rejected the applications, saying noise from airguns used in the surveys intimidate animals – especially endangered leatherback and loggerhead turtles moving between the shore and offshore environments.
