American oil giant hunts off North Coast

ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, wants to extend its rights to explore off the coast of KZN.

ExxonMobil Exploration and Production South Africa Limited (EMEPSAL) and Impact Africa Limited initially obtained exploration rights in 2012, for a period of two years. The companies have now requested an additional two years to explore between Amanzimtoti and Richard’s Bay.

Government and public affairs manager Zakithi Zama said the previously approved environmental management program would be updated.

“The objective of the exploration is to understand the rock formations that are below the seabed and see if it is possible for those formations to hold oil and or gas. The exploration process takes several years and multiple steps to determine whether commercial quantities of oil or gas exist.”

The area under exploration was made available to multi-national companies to explore offshore, by the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA).

Zama said all exploration activities are designed to protect marine life.

“Trained marine mammal observers are on board seismic survey vessels to watch for marine mammals during operations. Operations stop if a marine mammal enters an exclusion zone.”

Copies of the ExxonMobil proposal and environmental impact assessment are available at the Ballito Library.