Shell has gone to hell — or on a break until it figures out how to proceed with its planned seismic surveys off the Wild Coast. But while environmentalists were focused on booting out the global oil and gas company, another seismic survey programme took off this weekend.
The latest bout of seismic activity is being conducted by Australian geological data company Searcher Geodata, across the West Coast of South Africa, stretching from Cape Columbine, about 170km north of Cape Town, to Namibia.
The area in which the exploration is taking place is called the Orange Basin. Searcher Geodata is expected to conduct its survey along about 10,000km2 of the about 22,000km2 of the Reconnaissance Permit application area. The company will conduct 2D and/or 3D seismic survey programmes between the Orange River mouth (a Ramsar site) and Cape Columbine. SLR South Africa has been appointed the independent environmental assessment practitioner for the seismic programme, with the Petroleum Agency of South Africa granting Searcher the permit.
According to the Coastal Justice Network, 30 small-scale fishing communities that have longstanding roots along the coastline were not consulted in the process of granting the Australian company environmental rights. Some of these communities include indigenous and traditional fishing communities. For others, it is a livelihood, while for some it is a means of food security.
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https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-01-18-seismic-surveys-shells-gone-but-another-devil-has-arrived/