Page 13 - AfrOil Week 38 2022

AfrOil POLICY AfrOil

Speaking on the same day, Femi Gbajabiamila, Their actions constitute treason against our
the speaker of the House of Representatives, country, for which they must be held account-
noted that theft had pushed Nigerian oil output able,” Gbajabiamila commented.
down to a historic low level below 1mn barrels He also suggested that new enforcement
per day (bpd). The figure of “972,394 bpd for mechanisms were needed to prevent and deter
August is the lowest we have recorded in the last pipeline theft and sabotage, since existing pol-
two decades,” he told legislators during his own icies had not borne satisfactory results. “There
welcome speech. are mechanisms in place to prevent these sorts
Oil theft prevents the government from of bad actors, and the government spends sig-
fulfilling its mission, Gbajabiamila said. “The nificant amounts of money each year to protect
perpetrators of this brazen heist threaten our oil and gas resources in the country. Evidently,
ability to serve the Nigerian people and meet the these existing arrangements do not suffice,”
demands of governance and nation-building. Gbajabiamila remarked. ™

South African energy minister, Shell seek

to appeal court ruling blocking exploration

SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH Africa’s Energy Minister Gwede Man- the original permit unlawfully. It wrote that
tashe has joined Shell (UK) and its local partner the department had violated a number of legal
Impact Africa in seeking permission to appeal requirements, including those governing con-
a recent court ruling that revoked exploration sultations with communities likely to be affected
rights previously granted for the offshore Algoa by the projects in question.
and Transkei blocks. Shell, Impact Africa and Mantashe have
According to Engineering News, Mantashe objected to the court’s findings on this front,
and Shell applied to the Makhanda High Court however. Natural Justice, a South African
for leave to appeal the ruling on September 15. non-governmental organisation (NGO) that
Impact Africa – the original leader of the pro- focuses on issues involving human rights and
ject, which later agreed to bring Shell on board environmental law, noted in a statement in
as the new operator – had done the same on Sep- mid-September that these parties were arguing
tember 13, the publication noted. “that the public had been properly notified of the
The court had issued a ruling on September 1 decision to grant the exploration right and that
that cancelled the exploration rights granted to the court should not have allowed the decision
Shell for the blocks, with the cancellation cover- to be challenged so long after it was made”.
ing both the original exploration rights and two As of press time, no word was available on the
subsequent renewals) by the Department of court’s response to the application for permis-
Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). This sion to appeal the September 1 ruling.
decision effectively forced the multinational to Shell had hoped to begin conducting a seis-
scrap its plans to search for crude oil and natural mic survey of Transkei and Algoa last Decem-
gas offshore Eastern Cape province, adjacent to ber. However, it was forced to halt work after a
a region known as the Wild Coast. group of environmental and civil society groups
The Makhanda High Court justified its teamed up to oppose the project – and filed suit
decision by saying that DMRE had awarded in an effort to block it from proceeding. ™

Transkei and Algoa lie off the coast of Eastern Cape province (Image: Impact Oil & Gas)

Week 38 22•September•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P13