TotalEnergies Prepares Ambitious South African Offshore Campaign
French energy giant TotalEnergies is preparing to launch an extensive drilling campaign off South Africa’s coast, targeting the promising Deep Western Orange Basin that has already yielded major discoveries in neighboring Namibian waters.
The company plans to drill up to seven wells in waters approximately 211 kilometers off Saldanha Bay, with operations potentially beginning next year according to CEO Patrick Pouyanne. The move follows Shell’s similar preparations to drill five wells in the Northern Cape Ultra Deep license block, highlighting growing industry confidence in the region’s potential.
The area has emerged as one of Africa’s most attractive exploration hotspots following major 2022 discoveries across the maritime border in Namibia. However, operations face potential challenges from environmental groups that have successfully blocked some offshore exploration activities through court actions in recent years.
Environmental assessments for the TotalEnergies project are currently under public review until September 10, while Shell received environmental authorization for its project on June 30.
Source: worldoil.com
