BLOK 3B/4B Omgewingsimpakstudieverslag beskikbaar vir kommentaar

This guide, published by Natural Justice, informs the public about the draft Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for oil and gas exploration in Block 3B/4B off the west coast of South Africa. It outlines the proposed activities by a joint venture of Africa Oil South Africa Corp, Ricocure (Pty) Ltd, and Azinam Limited, detailing the potential environmental, social, and economic impacts, and providing instructions for public comment and participation.

• A joint venture consisting of Africa Oil South Africa Corp, Ricocure (Pty) Ltd, and Azinam Limited holds exploration rights for Block 3B/4B, an area of approximately 17,581 km2 off the west coast of South Africa. The partners intend to drill up to five exploration wells in the northern and central regions of the block, with each well's drilling and testing expected to take three to four months.
• The proposed drilling activities pose risks to highly sensitive marine areas, including the Childs Bank Marine Protected Area, the Orange Shelf Edge Marine Protected Area, and the Orange Seamount and Canyon Complex Ecologically or Biologically Significant Area. Potential impacts on marine fauna include disorientation, death, respiratory damage, and disruption of feeding and migration patterns due to noise from drilling, sonar surveys, and vessel traffic.
• The project may cause significant economic losses for local communities relying on the sea, specifically fishers and tourism operators in Cape Town, Saldanha Bay, and St Helen's Bay. The document estimates a potential temporary loss of approximately R184.1 million in employee compensation to the national economy and over R362 million in household income due to disruptions in commercial fishing and maritime logistics.
• The exploration project is identified as a contributor to the climate crisis because the eventual extraction and use of oil and gas increase greenhouse gas emissions. The document references a 2022 Oceana study suggesting that halting new oil and gas drilling while phasing out current production could contribute to nearly 13% of the emission reductions needed to limit global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius.
• The project may disrupt the cultural and spiritual practices of indigenous and small-scale fishing communities in the Northern Cape and Western Cape, who view the sea as a living entity and a place for ancestral connection and healing rituals.
• Environmental Impact Management Services (EIMS) projects that the exploration activity will create short-term economic growth and employment, estimating the creation of 1,411 formal skilled posts, 1,743 formal semi-skilled posts, 1,042 formal low-skilled posts, and 763 informal posts. However, these benefits are limited to an operational period of between 20 and 24 months.

APA

Natural Justice (2024). BLOK 3B/4B Omgewingsimpakstudieverslag beskikbaar vir kommentaar. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Afrikaans_3B4B-Africa-Oil-Community-Pamphlet_Jan2024.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. BLOK 3B/4B Omgewingsimpakstudieverslag beskikbaar vir kommentaar. 2024. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Afrikaans_3B4B-Africa-Oil-Community-Pamphlet_Jan2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=BLOK 3B/4B Omgewingsimpakstudieverslag beskikbaar vir kommentaar |date=January 2024 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Afrikaans_3B4B-Africa-Oil-Community-Pamphlet_Jan2024.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2024blok, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{BLOK 3B/4B Omgewingsimpakstudieverslag beskikbaar vir kommentaar}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Afrikaans_3B4B-Africa-Oil-Community-Pamphlet_Jan2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }