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 Environmental Authorisation can be viewed and downloaded below.

In terms of Regulation 4(4a) of the National Appeal Regulations 2025, an applicant must “notify, and make a copy of the appeal available to, registered interested and affected parties where applicable, and to affected organs of state, within 5 calendar days of the expiry of the 20-day [appeal] period”, which was on 29 July 2025. As such, on behalf of Shell, notice is hereby given that appeals were lodged against the Environmental Authorisation. Copies of these appeals can be viewed or downloaded following the links below.