The Guardian

South African court bans offshore oil and gas exploration by Shell

Judgment is huge victory for campaigners concerned about effect of seismic waves on marine life

A South African court has upheld a ban imposed on the energy giant Shell from using seismic waves to explore for oil and gas off the Indian Ocean coast.

The judgment delivered in Makhanda on Thursday marks a monumental victory for environmentalists concerned about the impact the exploration would have on whales and other marine life.

The 2014 decision granting the right for the “exploration of oil and gas in the Transkei and Algoa exploration areas is reviewed and set aside”, the high court ruled in the southern city. read more

Common Dreams

Amid Climate Crisis, Shell’s Financial Windfall Is Profiteering At Its Most Grotesque

ANDY ROWELL: July 31, 2022

Oil giant Shell has just posted record profits for a second consecutive quarter, smashing its previous record from earlier this year.

Shell posted adjusted earnings of a staggering USD 11.5 billion for the second quarter of this year, beating the USD 9.1 billion from the first three months of 2022.

Europe’s largest oil group was boosted by the sky-rocketing energy prices caused by the Ukraine war.

This means in the first six months of this year the oil giant has earnings of over USD 20 billion. This is profiteering at its most greedy and grotesque. read more

AP NEWS

South Africa court to rule on Shell offshore oil exploration

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A South African court is to rule on efforts to stop British oil giant Shell from conducting any further seismic surveys in the country’s Indian Ocean waters to explore for offshore oil and gas deposits.

Environmental and community groups in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province won an urgent interdict to stop the surveys in December last year and are now asking the court to permanently halt the operations. read more

DAILY MAVERICK

Judgment reserved in case against Shell’s seismic survey along the Wild Coast

By Tembile Sgqolana: 31 May 2022

The second day of the three-day court case between Shell, Impact Africa and environmental activists kicked off at the Gqeberha High Court on Tuesday following arguments from advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC and advocate Nick Ferreira on Monday.

The judges adjourned the matter, reserving judgment in both granting the joinder application put forward by Natural Justice and Greenpeace Africa (represented by the environmental law firm Cullinan & Associates) and the declarator that Shell required an environmental authorisation under the National Environmental Management Act (Nema), and if their exploration rights had been lawfully awarded by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).

On Monday, Judge President Selby Mbenenge, Deputy Judge President Zamani Nhlangulela and Judge Thandi Norman heard the merits of the joinder application.

On Tuesday, Jeremy Gauntlett SC, representing Impact Africa, argued against the joinder application sought by Natural Justice and Greenpeace Africa, saying the two organisations added nothing new to the case and had decided to attach themselves like a “cuckoo in a nest”.

During the second day, Gauntlett argued that the applicants were using a legal “knobkerrie” via interdict to undermine Minister Gwede Mantashe’s  authority to decide the matter, laying blame on imperfect legislation rather than the decision-maker. read more

Bloomberg News

Shell Court Case Prompts Climate Protest in Cape Town

Bloomberg News: Paul Burkhardt: May 28, 2022

Protesters rallied in Cape Town on Saturday ahead of a court ruling on oil and gas exploration by Shell Plc.

Community groups in December won a temporary halt to the company’s seismic survey off South Africa, pending a decision on whether further environmental authorization is needed for the work to proceed. The case will reopen on Monday.

Demonstrators held signs that showed the Shell logo and read “stop all seismic blasting,” activity that they argue will harm local marine life and disrupt fishing, while the company maintains the practice has been well established and in line with industry standards. read more

REUTERS

Shell seismic tests approval complied with rules, S.Africa minister says

January 13, 202210:05 AM GMTLast Updated 37 minutes ago

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Shell’s plan for seismic testing on South Africa’s Wild Coast, which critics say threatens dolphins, seals, whales, penguins and other rare sea life, received all necessary environmental approvals, the country’s energy minister said in a letter to parliament.

In a written reply to questions that was released by parliament late on Wednesday, Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said no shortcuts had been made in the process. read more

Shell exploration vessel retreats from South Africa after court order

Fri, 7th Jan 2022 15:26

(Alliance News) – Energy giant Royal Dutch Shell PLC has retrieved a vessel deployed to explore for oil and gas off South Africa’s pristine Indian Ocean waters following a court interdict, the company said Friday.

A High Court in the southern town of Makhanda last month ordered Shell to halt its seismic survey operations following a petition brought by environmentalists worried about the impact on whales and other species. read more

RIGZONE

Shell Taps Out As Amazon Warrior Sails Away From South Africa

by Bojan Lepic: Rigzone Staff: Thursday, January 06, 2022

Shell has terminated the contract for the Amazon Warrior survey vessel emphasizing the court victory of local activists over the oil major’s seismic plans along South Africa’s Wild Coast.

The owner of the vessel, Shearwater Geo, said in October 2021 that it had won a major 3D seismic exploration project in South Africa. Under the deal, the seismic firm was supposed to acquire just over 2,300 square miles of data during a four-week project. According to the most recent AIS data, Amazon Warrior is currently on its way to Las Palmas, Spain. read more

S&P Global

Platts

Shell cancels seismic work offshore South Africa after legal challenge

• AuthorEklavya Gupte 
• Editor Daniel Lalor
• 05 Jan 2022 | 15:20 UTC

Shell has suspended seismic exploration activity off South Africa’s east coast, terminating a contract for the Amazon Warrior survey vessel after a High Court ordered it to pause work after a legal challenge by environmental groups.

“As legal hearings about the survey are not yet completed and the weather window for conducting the work is limited, Shell has decided to terminate the current contract for the survey vessel early, in agreement with the contractor,” a Shell spokesperson told S&P Global Platts Jan. 5. read more

iol.co.za

Shell seismic survey: NSPCA finds sense of relief and celebrates victory for the voiceless in the sea

STAFF REPORTER: 30 DEC 2021

DURBAN – The National Council of SPCAs said it found a sense of relief and celebrated the interim victory for the voiceless after the Makhanda High Court interdicted Shell’s seismic survey.

On Tuesday, the Makhanda High Court in the Eastern Cape ruled that Shell could not continue with the blasting, which was meant to explore for oil and natural gas off the Wild Coast. read more

Independent

Seismic surveys by Shell in whale breeding grounds halted by South African court

A court in South Africa has halted oil giant Shell’s exploratory offshore seismic surveys in the latest ruling in a case brought by campaigners arguing the activity causes “irreparable harm” to the marine environment.

The new ruling forms part of a broader legal case contending that Shell did not have the necessary environmental approvals to continue with their surveys.

The decision comes after a different South African high court gave its approval on 3 December for Shell to begin conducting the surveys in waters off South Africa’s eastern coast. read more

The Guardian

Campaigners force Shell to halt oil exploration on South African coast

Court instructs company to stop tests along Wild Coast after concerns raised about wildlife and lack of consultation

Jillian Ambrose: Tue 28 Dec 2021 13.20 GMT

Shell will be forced to halt oil exploration in vital whale breeding grounds along South Africa’s eastern coastline after a local court blocked the controversial project.

The court order calls for an immediate halt to Shell’s seismic tests which involve blasting sound waves through the relatively untouched Wild Coast marine environment, which is home to whales, dolphins and seals. read more

BBC News:

South Africa court blocks Shell’s oil exploration

28 Dec 2021

A South African court has halted oil giant Shell’s seismic testing for oil and gas along the country’s eastern coastline, pending a final ruling.

The decision has been hailed by environmentalists who fear that the sound blasting will harm marine life.

Shell said it had “paused” operations while it reviewed the judgement.

South Africa’s Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe had condemned the project’s critics, saying they wanted to deprive Africa of energy resources. read more

Times LIVE

Court orders Shell to halt Wild Coast seismic blasting

28 December 2021 – 10:10: BY ADRIENNE CARLISLE

Shell will have to call a halt to its seismic survey along the ecologically sensitive Wild Coast after the high court in Makhanda today interdicted it from proceeding.

Judge Gerald Bloem on Tuesday morning interdicted Shell from continuing with the survey which kicked off on December 2.

Richard Spoor Attorneys and the Legal Resources Centre acting on behalf of the Dwesa-Cwebe, Amadiba, and Port Saint Johns communities, as well as environmental organisations, argued last week that the seismic surveying was devastating to the marine environment as well as harmful to communities’ rights and reliance on the sea for sustenance, income and cultural practices. read more

The Citizen

Judgment reserved in second interdict against Shell’s Wild Coast exploration

Judgment has been reserved “until further notice” in the second urgent interdict application against oil and petroleum giant Royal Dutch Shell.

Shell has been conducting a 3D seismic survey along the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape since the beginning of December, to look for oil and gas.

Concerned residents and environmental groups are arguing the seismic blasting is taking place at the expense of marine life and violates several cultural rights of the indigenous people living on the coast. read more

iol.co.za

Shell, Wild Coast residents battle it out in court to stop seismic blasting

…remarkable Shell could come to court and simply dismiss the evidence of experts about the harm to marine life, ecology and community livelihoods.

By Kristin Engel: 20 Dec 2021

Cape Town – On the back of the protest action across the country against Shell’s seismic blasting along the Wild Coast, a second urgent interdict to stop the blasting was heard at the Grahamstown High Court on Friday by Judge Gerald Bloem. read more