TotalEnergies has applied for environmental clearance to develop its gas discoveries off the coast of South Africa.
The move is part of a production rights application on Block 11B/12B, which is available for public comment, according to a draft scoping report posted online.
Development of the block could revive state-owned PetroSA’s 45,000 bbl/d Mossel Bay gas-to-liquids plant, which has run out of feedstock. South Africa also plans to use the fuel to move away from coal, which is used to generate almost all of the country’s electricity.
According to the report, the production right area being applied for is smaller than the exploration right area the company previously held. TotalEnergies is the operator of the block with 45% of the rights, Qatar Petroleum holds 25%, CNR International 20%, and the rest is held by the South African consortium Main Street.
