Oil, gas and renewables multinational TotalEnergies subsidiary TotalEnergies Exploration & Production South Africa (Teepsa) has committed to extensive engagement with key stakeholders as part of its comprehensive environmental application process for hydrocarbon exploration drilling activities offshore the south-western coast of South Africa.

Teepsa and its joint venture (JV) partners hold the exploration rights to a 10 000 km² area of interest for hydrocarbon exploration, Block 5/6/7, that is about 60 km from the coast at its closest point and 170 km at its farthest.

"As part of its application for environmental authorisation (EA) for exploration activities, Teepsa and its JV partners are inviting consultation with interested and affected parties.

"The parties are committed to ensuring all exploration or development activities are subject to the satisfactory completion of an environmental- and social-impact assessment (ESIA) and the granting of all required EAs," Teepsa says.

The EAs will cover the drilling of exploration and development wells and installation of subsea infrastructure for production, as well as the acquisition of geophysical data.

Any exploration or development activities will be subject to the satisfactory completion of an ESIA and the granting of necessary EAs, the company states.

"If the exploration activities result in the discovery of commercially viable hydrocarbon deposits, these fields have the potential to make significant contributions to South Africa‘s energy security, help sustain and generate employment opportunities and support development by enabling participation by local businesses," Teepsa notes.

Teepsa will continue to work closely with authorities, communities, government and all interested stakeholders to ensure adherence to local regulations, assessments, processes, environmental and social performance protocols, it asserts.

"Starting this week (April 21 to April 28), the public is encouraged to register as interested stakeholders on a database that will be published by our consultants, environmental and advisory consultancy SLR Consulting," Teepsa says.

"In line with international standards and industry best practice, TotalEnergies places environmental sustainability at the heart of its projects and operations. The company is committed to maintaining the highest health, safety, environmental, and quality standards and respects the natural environment and human rights wherever we operate," the company says.

Teepsa is based in Cape Town and is the operator of four blocks, with additional interest in a non-operated block.

SLR Consulting can be contacted via SMS or WhatsApp on 063 900 5536 or by sending an email to Teepsa-567@slrconsulting.com to obtain a registration form.