Shell’s South African partner, Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI), has described as ‘poppycock’ fears that seismic surveys for offshore oil and gas could endanger marine life.
In an open letter on its website, HCI said there was no evidence that seismic testing had ‘had any biologically significant impact on any marine populations in areas in which surveys have been conducted anywhere in the world’.
Shell temporarily halted its search for offshore oil and gas reserves along the Wild Coast, and its vessel left South African waters, after a court granted local activists an interim interdict on 28 December blocking any seismic surveys until a ruling could be made on whether further environmental authorisation was required.
Since then, it has emerged that Australian geoscience data company Searcher plans to oppose a legal challenge by West Coast communities seeking to interdict its proposed seismic survey in the area.
HCI warned that halting seismic surveys on South Africa’s coastline could leave the country entirely dependent on crude imports, according to News24.
‘Some people may believe the most important social contribution they can make is to inhibit oil exploration in South Africa, but their success will not end our demand for oil,’ the company said, adding: ‘It will simply leave us completely dependent on importing it at huge cost to our foreign reserves.’
HCI is an investor in Impact Oil and Gas in which Shell owns a 50% stake.
The company’s CEO is former trade unionist – and latterly ANC MP – Johnny Copelyn. He is also the chair of eMedia Holdings, of which HCI owns a majority stake.