Sasol Petroleum International, the upstream oil and gas subsidiary of Sasol Limited, announced that it has concluded a farm-out to Eni SpA, an Italian multinational oil and gas company, for the exploration right permit 236 (ER236) in South Africa.
The permit was granted to Sasol in November 2013 by the Petroleum Agency of South Africa for an initial period of three years. The permit grants the right to explore for hydrocarbons along South Africa’s East coast in the Durban and Zululand basins offshore Kwazulu-Natal province. In terms of the farm-out, Sasol will transfer a 40% interest in ER236 and operatorship to Eni. Sasol will retain a majority 60% interest. The agreement, which is subject to government approval, signals greater cooperation between Sasol and Eni in Southern Africa.
“The establishment of our partnership with Eni in respect of our offshore South African interests complements Sasol’s strategy to develop sustainable energy solutions, which will serve to ensure all-important economic growth and development in southern Africa and the broader region. In addition, accelerated exploration activity, as represented by ER236, will have many positive benefits for South Africa and the broader region, in terms of energy security and increasing levels of international investment,” said David Constable, Chief Executive Officer, Sasol Limited. Eni is among a number of international energy companies to have recently entered South Africa, which is currently the continent’s largest oil importer.