Proposed exploration drilling by TotalEnergies in the Deep Water Orange Basin block

Natural Justice, The Green Connection, and the Aukotowa Primary Fishing Cooperative are challenging an Environmental Authorisation granted in 2023 to TotalEnergies EP South Africa S.A.S for ultra deep water exploration drilling in the Deep Water Orange Basin, approximately 200 km off South Africa's west coast. The organisations are asking the Western Cape High Court to set aside the authorisation and the dismissal of internal appeals, with hearings scheduled for 23 and 24 March 2026 in Cape Town.

• In 2023, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources issued an Environmental Authorisation (EA) to TotalEnergies EP South Africa S.A.S to drill ultra deep water exploration wells in the northern section of the Deep Water Orange Basin (DWOB) block, located roughly 200 km off the west coast of South Africa.
• The Aukotowa Primary Fishing Cooperative, The Green Connection, and Natural Justice have filed a case in the Western Cape High Court to overturn the Director-General's decision to grant the EA and the Minister's decision to reject internal administrative appeals.
• The legal challenge seeks a court order directly refusing the authorisation rather than returning the matter to the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources for reconsideration. The case is scheduled for hearing in Cape Town on 23 and 24 March 2026.

APA

Natural Justice (2026). Proposed exploration drilling by TotalEnergies in the Deep Water Orange Basin block. https://naturaljustice.org/publication/factsheet-proposed-exploration-drilling-by-totalenergies-in-the-deep-water-orange-basin-block/

Chicago

Natural Justice. Proposed exploration drilling by TotalEnergies in the Deep Water Orange Basin block. 2026. https://naturaljustice.org/publication/factsheet-proposed-exploration-drilling-by-totalenergies-in-the-deep-water-orange-basin-block/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=Proposed exploration drilling by TotalEnergies in the Deep Water Orange Basin block |date=17 March 2026 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/publication/factsheet-proposed-exploration-drilling-by-totalenergies-in-the-deep-water-orange-basin-block/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2026proposed, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{Proposed exploration drilling by TotalEnergies in the Deep Water Orange Basin block}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/publication/factsheet-proposed-exploration-drilling-by-totalenergies-in-the-deep-water-orange-basin-block/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }