The Western Cape High Court has revoked the environmental authorisation that allowed Shell to pursue offshore oil and gas exploration in the Block 5/6/7 area south of Cape Town. The authorisation was originally issued to TotalEnergies with the intention of assigning operational responsibility to Shell.
Environmental organisations challenged the approval, arguing that key documents, including oil spill and blowout contingency plans, were not made available during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. The court found that this lack of disclosure prevented affected communities and stakeholders from participating meaningfully.
In its judgment, the court highlighted further shortcomings in the EIA including inadequate assessment of socio-economic impacts on coastal communities, under-evaluation of climate risks, non-compliance with the Integrated Coastal Management Act and failure to consider transboundary effects such as potential impacts on Namibia. Block 5/6/7 covers about 10 000 km² in waters 700 m-3 200 m deep where up to five exploratory wells were planned.
The court has ordered new assessments to address these issues, requiring full consultation with affected communities and comprehensive emergency response planning before the project can be reconsidered.
