Posts under ‘Africa’

Independent

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

Harry Cockburn: Wed, 29 December 2021, 5:51 pm

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

fin24

Activists descend on Shell service stations

Lisa Steyn: 11 Dec 2021

• Demonstrators descended on Shell-branded service stations on Saturday in protest of the oil and gas giant’s seismic survey off the Wild Coast.
• Activists organisations have called on government to listen to the voices of the people of South Africa
• Traditional fishing leaders have hit back at the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy’s “simplistic dismissal” of the objections to Shell’s planned activity.

Demonstrations coordinated by nine activist organisations took place at Shell-branded service stations as well as some beaches across the country to protest the oil and gas giant’s seismic surveying of waters along the Wild Coast.

The activist organisations have called upon members of the public, fuel distributors and other businesses to boycott Shell until such time as they cancel their seismic surveying along the pristine coastline. read more

REUTERS

South Africa’s energy minister defends Shell’s planned seismic blasting on Wild Coast

TIM COCKS, JOHANNESBURG, REUTERS: 09 DEC 2021

South Africa’s energy minister defended on Thursday Royal Dutch Shell’s plans for seismic oil exploration along a pristine coastal stretch, saying critics of the plan want to deprive Africa of energy resources.

Environmentalists and others have protested against Shell’s plans to start seismic blasting on the Wild Coast, home to some of the country’s most undisturbed wildlife refuges, and a major tourist draw. read more

Mail&Guardian

Shell seismic ops: ‘Our ancestors’ blood was spilt protecting the land and sea’

Sheree Bega: 8 Dec 2021 (Article Extracts) Shell’s planned seismic testing to search for oil and gas deposits in the sensitive waters off the Wild Coast will cause significant harm to the environment and the livelihoods, culture and heritage of communities living along the region.

This is detailed in the second legal challenge mounted against the petroleum giant’s planned 3D seismic survey to explore for hydrocarbon reserves beneath the seabed between Morgan Bay and Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape.

The applicants have asked the court to halt Shell’s seismic blasting pending the outcome of their challenge of Shell’s assertion that it is legally entitled to commence with the operations. Not only will the seismic survey be harmful, they argue, it is unlawful, because Shell does not have an environmental authorisation to conduct the exploration right in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Nema). read more

An appropriate time to bring Shell’s past evil behaviour in South Africa to the attention of current protesters 

(ALSO SEE: Shell propped up racist apartheid regime in South Africa)

By John Donovan

In 1987, Shell Oil Co implemented a secret 265-page plan devised by a Washington based firm, Pagan International.

The devious plan was designed to undermine support for critics of Shell’s policy of propping up the despised racist apartheid regime in South Africa, just as Shell and its Nazi leader, Sir Henri Deterding,  propped up Nazi Germany before WW2.  read more

Cape Times

Shell protests continue across South Africa

By Nicola Daniels: Dec 6, 2021

CAPE TOWN – While environmentalists lost their urgent application in the Makhanda High Court to stop Shell from starting its seismic survey on Friday, activists are still expressing their opposition to the operation, with protests held in various coastal areas.

Protesters gathered at Central Beach in Plettenberg Bay and at Surfers Corner in Muizenberg on Sunday.

The seismic survey is scheduled to last for about four months, targeting a specific area within the Exploration License Area on the Wild Coast where it is believed there may be potential oil or gas deposits beneath the ground surface. read more

REUTERS

S.Africans protest against Shell oil exploration in pristine coastal area

By Siyabonga Sishi: December 5, 2021

PORT EDWARD, South Africa, Dec 5 (Reuters) – South Africans took to their beaches on Sunday to protest against plans by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) to do seimsic oil exploration they say will threaten marine wildlife such as whales, dolphins, seals and penguins on a pristine coastal stretch.

A South African court on Friday struck down an application brought by environmentalists to stop the oil major exploring in the eastern seaboard’s Wild Coast, rejecting as unproven their argument that it would cause “irreparable harm” to the marine environment, especially migrating hump-back whales. read more read more

fin24

Shell can proceed with seismic survey after environmental groups lose urgent court bid

Lameez Omarjee

• A high court has dismissed an urgent application to block Shell from proceeding with a seismic survey off the Eastern Cape coast.
• Judge Avinash Govindjee said that he was not convinced that there is cause to fear “irreparable harm” if an urgent interdict was not granted.
• Meanwhile communities on the Wild Coast have also filed an urgent application to block the seismic survey.

A South African high court has dismissed an urgent application to block Shell from proceeding with a seismic survey off the Eastern Cape coast.

The ruling was delivered by Judge Avinash Govindjee at the Eastern Cape Division of the Makhanda High Court on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, four environmental and human rights organisations – Greenpeace Africa, Natural Justice, the Border Deep Sea Angling Association, and the Kei Mouth Ski Boat Club – filed an urgent application to block the seismic survey, given the alleged harm it would case to the environment and marine life. read more

Bloomberg

Nigerians in Oil-Rich Delta Pin Hope on U.K. Trial Against Shell

=&0=&(Bloomberg) — Dec 2, 2021

In the heart of Nigeria’s oil region, communities and their leaders see a U.K. court as their best chance to resolve a legacy of environmental damage in the area that they blame on Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

More than 40,000 residents of the crude-rich Niger Delta were permitted by the U.K. Supreme Court in February to seek compensation over pollution, allegedly caused by Shell, in a reversal of two previous rulings. The communities see this process as a guarantor of their legal rights, even if Shell were to follow through on its plans to exit some of the oilfields. A date for a trial hasn’t been set. read more

Mail&Guardian

Shell’s seismic survey will cause ‘irreparable harm’ to sea life, including migrating whales along the Wild Coast in December

Sheree Bega: 2 Dec 2021

Avirtual court sitting in Makhanda has heard arguments between oil giant Shell and a group of environmental and human rights organisations opposed to its plans to explore the ecologically sensitive Wild Coast for oil and gas.

On Monday night, the Border Deep Sea Angling Association, Kei Mouth Ski Boat Club, Natural Justice and Greenpeace Africa applied for an urgent interim interdict to stop Shell from embarking on its 3D seismic survey between Morgan Bay and Port St Johns, which was scheduled to start on Wednesday. read more

The Guardian

Last-minute bid to stop Shell’s oil exploration in whale breeding grounds in South Africa

Campaigners have filed legal challenge against seismic survey along Eastern Cape province

Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent: Wed 1 Dec 2021 06.00 GMT

An 11th hour bid has been launched to try to halt plans by Royal Dutch Shell to explore for oil in vital whale breeding grounds along the Wild Coast of eastern South Africa.

Campaigners filed an urgent legal challenge against the seismic survey, which was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, in a last-ditch bid to prevent it harming whales, dolphins and seals in the relatively untouched marine environment. read more