Block 3B/4B Offshore Exploration Right EIA

The Applicants are the holders of an existing Exploration Right for Block 3B/4B in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (No. 28 of 2002 – MPRDA), as amended. The licence block covers an area of approximately 11 100 km2 and is situated between latitudes 31°S and 33°S on the continental shelf in water depths ranging from 200 m to 2 000 m. The applicant is the operator and holder of an existing Exploration Right for Block 3B/4B in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (No. 28 of 2002 – MPRDA), as amended. The licence block covers an area of approximately 11 100 km2, and is situated between latitudes 31°S and 33°S on the continental shelf in water depths ranging from 200 m to 2 000 m.

Block 3B/4B is located approximately 120 km west of St Helena Bay and approximately 145 km south-west of Hondeklip Bay off the West Coast of South Africa. The area of primary interest is in the north of this block, but this could also cover other areas in future. As part of the process of applying for the Exploration Right, the applicant undertook and completed the reprocessing project covering 2 000 km2, which is a subset of the 10 000 km2 BHP/Shell 3D seismic datasets, focused primarily on the most northern portion of Block 3B/4B.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process will be undertaken in terms of Chapter 6 of the EIA Regulations, 2014 (GNR 982) promulgated under the NEMA (as amended). A Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process will be followed. In accordance with Chapter 6 of the EIA Regulations, a public participation process will be undertaken.