TGS Geophysical Company West Coast Seismic Survey

The document details a legal challenge in the Western Cape High Court against a proposed 3D seismic survey by TGS Geophysical Company. The applicants argue that the authorisation was unlawful due to a lack of proper delegation of authority and a failure to consider the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act. Key concerns include the physical and behavioural impact of airgun noise on marine mammals and fish, the creation of exclusion zones harming small-scale fishers, and the government's failure to account for climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement and the economic risk of stranded assets in a decarbonising world.

• The applicants argue that the environmental authorisation was unlawful because the Director-General of the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources lacked the proper delegated authority from the Minister to grant it.
• The proposed seismic survey, which uses airguns to map the seabed, poses significant risks to marine life, including physical injury and behavioural changes in whales and dolphins, and the applicants claim the noise impact assessments were flawed and ignored cumulative effects.
• The survey threatens the livelihoods of small-scale fishers through both ecological damage and the creation of vast exclusion zones that prevent fishing vessels from entering for months.
• The government is accused of ignoring climate change implications and international commitments, specifically the Paris Agreement's 1.5 degrees Celsius goal and the national carbon budget.
• The economic justification for the survey is challenged for failing to analyze transition risks or the probability that oil and gas explorations would become stranded assets in a decarbonising global market.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). TGS Geophysical Company West Coast Seismic Survey. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ENG_Factsheet_TGS_Court-Case-FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. TGS Geophysical Company West Coast Seismic Survey. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ENG_Factsheet_TGS_Court-Case-FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=TGS Geophysical Company West Coast Seismic Survey |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ENG_Factsheet_TGS_Court-Case-FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendtgs, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{TGS Geophysical Company West Coast Seismic Survey}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ENG_Factsheet_TGS_Court-Case-FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }