PetroSA to hunt for oil, gas on Cape coast
2011-09-11 23:16
Johannesburg - State-owned oil and gas company PetroSA plans to explore an 80 000km² area around the Cape coast in a search for oil and gas, the Sunday Times reported.
The exploration area starts about 15km off the coast and stretches from Cape Agulhas to Saldanha. PetroSA told the newspaper the area had "several million barrels of oil potential".
PetroSA's exploration application has already passed the 30-day public participation period. A detailed environmental management plan is due to be submitted within the next month. If it is approved, initial exploration work could begin as early as February.
Should PetroSA's initial survey work show promising results, test drilling could begin in five or six years, spokesperson Thabo Mabaso told the newspaper.
But there were several environmental concerns, including the impact exploration would have on commercial fisheries and endangered whale species, and the potential of an oil spill disaster, reported the Sunday Times.
- SAPA
