C:\Users\DOMINI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\PED\~$Scan f001.pdf

This briefing document is a background information notice regarding an application by Coastal Phosphate (Pty) Ltd for a prospecting right to explore for phosphate and potash in the South Africa Offshore Sea Area, specifically off the coast of Cape St Francis in the Eastern Cape. The document outlines the company's ownership, the proposed four-phase prospecting work programme, and potential environmental impacts, while inviting public comment by July 24, 2012. A note at the beginning of the text indicates that the application has since been shelved.

• Coastal Phosphate (Pty) Ltd applied for a prospecting right under section 16 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (No.28 of 2002) to seek phosphate and potash in the South Africa Offshore Sea Area. The company's share capital is 53% held by BEE companies, with Izingwe Holdings (Pty) Ltd as the largest shareholder and primary funding provider for the prospecting phase.
• The proposed prospecting area covers 1,043.9 square km offshore from Cape St Francis in the Eastern Cape, with water depths ranging between 90 and 220 meters. The area is noted for deposits of phoshorite and glauconite associated with high biological productivity from nutrient-rich water upwelling.
• The proposed prospecting work programme consists of four phases: Phase 1 (4 months) involves a desktop study and planning; Phase 2 (8 months) includes a non-invasive geophysical survey using bathymetry and side scan sonar; Phase 3 (16 months) is an invasive sampling programme extracting 1m² seafloor samples on a regular grid; and Phase 4 (8 months) focuses on resource estimation and a prefeasibility study.
• The document identifies four key environmental issues: seabed sediment disturbance, noise effects on marine life, interruption of other resource activities (such as fisheries and petroleum exploration), and pollution risks. It notes that seabed recovery from similar mining on the West Coast takes approximately 4-8 years, though prospecting impacts are expected to be less significant due to a smaller footprint.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). C:\Users\DOMINI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\PED\~$Scan f001.pdf. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Coastal-Phosphate-Prospecting-Area.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. C:\Users\DOMINI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\PED\~$Scan f001.pdf. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Coastal-Phosphate-Prospecting-Area.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=C:\Users\DOMINI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\PED\~$Scan f001.pdf |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Coastal-Phosphate-Prospecting-Area.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndcusersdomini1appdatalocaltemppedscan, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{C:\textbackslash\{\}Users\textbackslash\{\}DOMINI\textasciitilde{}1\textbackslash\{\}AppData\textbackslash\{\}Local\textbackslash\{\}Temp\textbackslash\{\}PED\textbackslash\{\}\textasciitilde{}\$Scan f001.pdf}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Coastal-Phosphate-Prospecting-Area.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }