On 9 December, people across the country united in local actions against oil and gas exploration and drilling off South Africa’s coastline. Multinational corporations – including Shell, QatarEnergy, Total Energies and contractors such as CGG and Searcher Seismic – are amongst the focal points of this latest public outrage. According to Liziwe McDaid, Strategic Lead at The Green Connection (one of the civil society organisations that got in on the action), “Recent decisions by government to authorise seismic surveys in the Algoa/Outeniqua Basin off the Southeast Coast of South Africa and also off the West Coast, in addition to decision to reject the environmental appeal against oil and gas exploration, from Gansbaai on the South Coast to Doring Baai on the West Coast, has been the catalyst for these actions.”
Total Energies Marketing South Africa is divesting its 36.36 percent minority stake in National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa (Natref) to the Prax Group.
Since the discovery of oil in commercial quantities in 2007, Ghana’s petroleum industry has witnessed remarkable growth.
South Africa is one step closer to having a new entity in charge of petroleum in the country, with a significant merger between PetroSA and other Central Energy Fund (CEF) subsidiaries progressing.
One small-scale miner was killed and four injured as security forces moved to evict them from a concession held by Ghana’s Golden Star Resources.
Malaysia’s national oil and gas company Petronas has reached agreement to sell its entire 74% majority stake in South Africa’s Engen to Vivo Energy, one of the largest African fuel retail operators and part of multinational energy company Vitol.