Afro Energy - Environmental Impact Assessment Process for Exploration Activities in ER383 in the Free State and Mpumalanga Provinces
01 August 2025 | Client: Afro Energy (Pty) Ltd
Exploration Right (ER) 383 - Register as an Interested and Affected Party
Afro Energy Pty (Ltd) is proposing a staged exploration work programme that will be undertaken over 3-years under ER obligations, and possibly Renewal Periods, and largely follows this sequence:
Phase 1: Early Exploration for Gas
The proposed early phase exploration includes for:
• Undertaking an aeromagnetic survey.
• Drilling of standard stratigraphic exploration core boreholes at identified target sites;
• Logging of the core holes; and
• Sampling and analysis of extracted cores.
Phase 2: Advanced exploration for Coal Bed Methane (CBM)
If early exploration is positive then Afro Energy may proceed to an advanced exploration drilling phase,
comprising:
• Drilling of larger diameter boreholes for permeability testing to understand geotechnical data andgas quality; and
• Flow testing of gas and produced water for delivery and longevity quanta
SLR Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd (SLR) has been appointed as the independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner to undertake the required Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment (S&EIA) process to meet the relevant requirements of the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) and EIA Regulations, 2014.
Status
Afro Energy (Pty) Ltd (Afro Energy) was granted Environmental Authorisation on 23 June 2025 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 (as amended).
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 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 27 July 2025.
As such, on behalf of Afro Energy, notice is hereby given that appeals were lodged against the Environmental Authorisation. Copies of these appeals can be viewed or downloaded below.
Appeal Submissions
EA Authorisation
Final Environmental Impact Report
Appendices
- Appendix A - Environmntal Assessment Practitioner CV and Qualifications
- Appendix B1 Site Notices
- Appendix B2 - Adverts
- Appendix B3 - Proof of Notifications
- Appendix B4 - Press Publications
- Appendix B5 - Presentations, Minutes and Attendance Register
- Appendix B6 - Acceptance of Final Scoping Report
- Appendix C - DFFE Screening Tool
- Appendix D - Comments and Responses Report
- Appendix D - Comments & Reports Report_Scoping
- Appendix E - Wetland and Aquatic Assessment
- Appendix F - Terrestrial Ecology Assessment
- Appendix G - Heritage Impact Assessment
- Appendix H - Geohydrology Impact Assessment
- Appendix I - Closure Assessment
- Appendix J - Climate Change Risk Assessment
- Appendix K - Air Quality Assessment
- Appendix L - Environmental Management Programme