Total + partners plan public meetings for 10 new oil wells off between Mossel Bay & Cape St Francis
A Joint Venture comprising TotalEnergies EP South Africa B.V. (TEEPSA), QatarEnergy, Canadian Natural Resources International (South Africa) Limited, and a South African consortium, MainStreet 1549, that held an Exploration Right over Block 11B/12B located offshore from the Southern Cape Coast, South Africa, now seeks to convert the Exploration Right into a Production Right.
The public review period for the Draft Scoping Report will close on Friday 03 February 2023. A Non-Technical Summary of the Draft Scoping Report is available here in English, isiXhosa, and Afrikaans. An audio recording of the Non-Technical Summary of the Draft Scoping Report is also available in English, isiXhosa, and Afrikaans on the websites.
The Production Right Application Area is approximately 100 km offshore and extends between Mossel Bay and Cape St Francis. TEEPSA is planning to develop the gas resources within the Application Area if a Production Right is granted and if commercial agreements for the sale of the gas into the domestic market can be achieved.
TEEPSA has appointed WSP Group Africa (Pty) Ltd (WSP) as the independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner to conduct the statutory Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment (S&EIA) and public participation process.
Public comment period:
On the 1st of December 2022 an email to notify potential Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) of the proposed Production Right application was circulated and we would like to thank everyone who has registered as an I&AP and submitted comments to date, as well as attended the first online public meeting that was convened on the 7th of December 2022. As indicated in the notification letter, a series of public meetings is scheduled to commence in January 2023.
Invitation to attend the public meetings
The public is invited to the Scoping Phase public meetings that will be taking place along the Southern Cape Coast from 16 January to 26 January 2023. Table 1 shows more detail regarding the date, venue and time of the public meetings.
TEEPSA’s stated objectives of the public meetings are:
- To share information about TEEPSA’s proposed offshore Block 11B/12B development project
- To provide information about the statutory Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment and public participation process that form part of the proposed Production Right and Environmental Authorisation process
- For I&APs to ask questions, raise issues of concern, contribute suggestions for enhanced benefits or alternatives, and identify potential impacts for consideration as part of the S&EIA
Table 1. Details of the public meetings
| Date | Venue | Time |
| 16 January 2023 | Kwanonqaba Community Hall, Mayixhale St, Kwanonqaba, Mossel Bay | 10h00 – 12h00 AND 17h00 – 19h00 |
| 17 January 2023 | Mossel Bay Town Hall, 101 Marsh Street, Mossel Bay Central | 10h00 – 12h00 AND 17h00 – 19h00 |
| 18 January 2023 | Thembalethu Community Hall, 66 Olympic Road, George | 17h00 – 19h00 |
| 19 January 2023 | Khayelethu Community Hall, Mbethana Street, Knysna | 17h00 – 19h00 |
| 20 January 2023 | Piesang Community Hall, 7 Greenpoint Ave, Plettenberg Bay | 17h00 – 19h00 |
| 21 January 2023 | Seavista Hall, Geelbek Street, St Francis Bay | 14h00 – 16h00 |
| 23 January 2023 | Pellsrus Hall, 1 Harder Street, Jeffreys Bay | 17h00 – 19h00 |
| 24 January 2023 | Feather Market Hall, 86 Baakens Street Port Elisabeth Central, Gqeberha | 17h00 – 19h00 |
| 25 January 2023 | Jauka Community Hall, Runeli Drive, Port Alfred | 10h00 – 12h00 AND 14h00 – 16h00 |
| 26 January 2023 | Scenery Park Community Hall, 30 7th Rd, Scenery Park, East London | 17:00 – 19:00 |
Please contact the WSP Public Participation Office for more information about the Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment, to register as an I&AP or to attend the meetings:
WSP Group Africa (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 6001, Halfway House, 1685
Tel: +27 (0) 11 254 4800, or
WhatsApp: 076 694 3842
Fax: +27 (0) 11 315 0317
Email: teepsaEIA@WSP.com / gld.teepsaesia@wsp.com
Download information from the WSP website: https://www.wsp.com/en-za/services/public-documents
Download information from the data-free website at: https://wsp-engage.com/Total-11B12B/
Oceans Not Oil 
The country needs this
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Thanks for your response Malibongwe. Could you tell us why you think “the country needs this”.
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What, just more availability for corruption at the expense of sea life. This is as bad as colonialism – the rich countries grabbing from Africa. Stop now and be satisfied with what you have already.
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This is totally unacceptable to be exploiting the ocean around the South African coastline. Of course it is going to have an environmental impact. There is no question about that. I definitely object to this.
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NO definitely NO it’s one of the main tourist attractions along the Garden Route—just like our wildlife game reserves DONOT need more coal/ exotic minerals mining. All the ‘powers to be’ think of is creating more wealth for themselves regardless of the lasting devastation caused .
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It beggars belief that anyone would even be contemplating this, given the dire level of our climate crisis – caused by fossil fuel extraction leading to global warming. Our planet is under dire threat, and therefore all the species whose lives are nurtured on it, including humanity. The planet will survive, and some forms of life who live upon it, as has happened for millennia. However, humanity, who has caused its own extinction, will not.
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I object to this. It will be the same as all other State involved project. Massive corruption and massive destruction of the environment
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It is appalling that a project like this is even contemplated. The damage to the environment is incalculable. It is extraordinary that Total are going ahead considering that Shell was stopped in their tracks by concerned citizens. All in the name of profits.
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