MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) held an information session on oil and gas exploration opportunities in the country at the D'Almeida Community Hall on Monday, 17 March.
The information session followed a public open day, held as part of the Environmental Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), conducted by independent environmental consultant, SLR Consulting, on behalf of Main Street 1549 (Pty) Ltd.
Main Street is the exploration right holder of Block 11B/12B, between 75km and 120km offshore from the south coast between Mossel Bay and Cape St Francis.
Several Mossel Bay residents and stakeholders came to the information session, to listen to what representatives from PASA had to say about South Africa's upstream oil and gas industry.
It was explained that in the oil and gas industry, the term "upstream" refers to the exploration, drilling and extraction process of gas and oil.
Zuzeka Ciliba, chairperson of the Eden Fishing D'Almeida Cooperation. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
PASA representatives spoke about how South Africa imports its oil from other countries and there is a need for the country to have its own supply. PASA said there were reserves found onshore and offshore of South Africa, with some already being explored.
The significance of companies that wish to explore oil and gas opportunities in the country, complying with environmental laws, was also addressed at length as well as the involvement of local communities surrounding the areas of exploration.
The floor was then given to the community to have its say.
Mervin Barnard of the Gouriqua Khoi Khoranna Kraal. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
Mervin Barnard of the Gouriqua Khoi Khoranna Kraal said that often, the people who live around mines are the poorest. He said that people from Mossel Bay and the Southern Cape should be looked at first when it comes to job opportunities created by Block 11B/12B.
Zuzeka Ciliba, chairperson of the Eden Fishing D'Almeida Cooperation, said there was a lot that still needs to be discussed. She shared concerns about how the fishing industry of Mossel Bay would be affected by the exploration of Block 11B/12B and said that PASA and the community, who are stakeholders, should have a close relationship.
PASA emphasised that the event was an information session and that the com-munity's concerns should be shared with Main Street as well.
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