The Wild Cost of Oil Exploration Operation Shell

The report examines oil exploration by Shell South Africa off the Wild Coast, highlighting a legal interdict against seismic blasting due to inadequate environmental authorisation under NEMA and poor community consultation. It identifies legislative discrepancies between the MPRDA and NEMA and calls for strengthened governance, transparency, and better alignment of regulatory frameworks to manage natural resources.

• Oil exploration activities by Shell South Africa off the Wild Coast in October 2021, specifically seismic blasting tests, triggered a national debate regarding climate change mitigation, adaptation, and the potential for negative impacts on local communities and ecologies. This led the Makanda High Court in Gauteng province to grant an interdict against the proposed blasting following pressure from affected parties.
• Preliminary research indicates significant shortcomings in the legislation governing environmental management for mining. Specifically, there are discrepancies between the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) of 1998 and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) of 2002. The seismic survey was legally challenged because it lacked environmental authorisation required under NEMA.
• The exploration process revealed an inadequate consultation process with interested and affected parties. The report concludes that governing departments must better align regulatory frameworks for mining approvals and environmental authorisations, while multinational corporations must improve their consultation mechanisms and understanding of affected communities and environmental contexts.

APA

Siyobi, B. (2023). The Wild Cost of Oil Exploration Operation Shell. Good Governance Africa. https://gga.org/the-wild-cost-of-oil-exploration-operation-shell/

Chicago

Siyobi, Busisipho. The Wild Cost of Oil Exploration Operation Shell. Good Governance Africa, 2023. https://gga.org/the-wild-cost-of-oil-exploration-operation-shell/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Siyobi |first1=Busisipho |title=The Wild Cost of Oil Exploration Operation Shell |publisher=Good Governance Africa |date=20 September 2023 |url=https://gga.org/the-wild-cost-of-oil-exploration-operation-shell/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{siyobi2023wild, author = {Siyobi, Busisipho}, title = {{The Wild Cost of Oil Exploration Operation Shell}}, institution = {Good Governance Africa}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://gga.org/the-wild-cost-of-oil-exploration-operation-shell/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }