Eni South Africa BV (Eni), and Sasol Africa Limited (Sasol) hold an exploration right off the East Coast of South Africa. Eni and Sasol are considering the possibility of conducting an exploration drilling programme in Block ER 236 (12/3/236) to assess the commercial viability of the hydrocarbon reservoir for future development.
The Project requires Environmental Authorisation (EA) from the National Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), through the Petroleum Agency South Africa (PASA). The authorisation would be under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (Act No. 107 of 1998).
To obtain an EA, Eni must undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in terms of the NEMA EIA Regulations, 2014. The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) is the competent authority and has powers to authorise the development or refuse it. Applications must be submitted to PASA. PASA is responsible for evaluating applications, entering into negotiations with applicants and making recommendations to the Minister of Mineral Resources on their acceptability.
This website serves to disseminate Project information as it becomes available. If you have any questions, or wish to register as an interested and affected party, please contact ERM.
Exploration Right 12/3/236 Compliance Audit
EIA Update September 2018
An EIA process was commenced in January 2018 with the release of a Draft Scoping Report. The Final Scoping Report was approved by PASA on 16 April 2018. ERM experienced unforeseen delays in the finalising of specialist studies which resulted in subsequent delays in the drafting of the EIA Report. Consequently, ERM was not able to finalise and release the draft report for comment and comply with the stipulated 106 day timeframe in which to submit the final EIA Report by the 03 August 2018, as prescribed in Section 23(1)(a) of the NEMA EIA Regulations. As such, the EIA Application lapsed on the 03 August 2018. A new EIA process has commenced, which was approved by PASA on 29 August 2018, successive to the approval of the Scoping Report on 16 April 2018.
Environmental Authorisation Granted 2019
Notice is hereby given that the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) granted Environmental Authorisation (EA) for the proposed Exploration Drilling within Offshore Block ER236, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa in terms of the National Environmental Management Act No. 107 of 1998, as amended (NEMA) and the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014, as amended. The EA was granted to the applicants, Eni South Africa B.V. (Eni) and Sasol Africa (Pty) Ltd (Sasol), on 26 August 2019 and was sent to the operator, Eni, on 29 August 2019.
The granting of the EA is subject to a number of conditions, which, along with the reasons for the decision, are set out in the EA (Annexure A and B respectively), attached as Appendix 1 of the notification letter. The Authorised activities shall not commence within twenty (20) days from the date of notification of the decision.
The notification of Environvironmental Authorisation (in English) is attached below. Notifications and Reasons for the Decision have also been provided in isiZulu and isiXhosa, below.
- Stakeholder Notification- EA Decision-09.09.2019_English.pdf
- EA Decision Stakeholder Notification -09.09.2019_ Zulu .pdf
- Stakeholder Notification- EA Decision-09.09.2019_Xhosa .pdf
Supplementary Comments and Responses Report February 2019
Download the Final EIA Report Here
- 1a.Eni SA Drilling Final EIA Report (Chapters 1-5).pdf
- 1b.Eni SA Drilling Final EIA Report (Chapter 6-11).pdf
- 2.Annex A Details of the EAP.pdf
- 3a. Annex B Public Participation Stakeholder Database.pdf
- 3a. Annex B Public Participation Initial Notification Materials.pdf
- 3a. Annex B Public Participation Withdrawal of Draft Scoping Report.pdf
- 3a. Annex B Public Participation Scoping Phase Presentation.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation EIA Phase Notification.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation Notification of Lapse.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation Newspaper Adverts.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation Newspaper Adverts Part 2.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation Newspaper Adverts Part 3.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation SMS Notification.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation SMS Notification of IsiZulu EIA.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation Notification of IsiZulu EIA.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation Proof of Receipt of EIA.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation Proof of Receipt of EIA Part 2.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation Proof of Receipt of EIA Part 3.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation Open House Meetings.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Project Website.pdf
- 3b. Annex B Public Participation Comments and Responses Report.pdf
- 4. Annex C Authority Communication.pdf
- 4. Annex C Authority Communication Minutes of Meeting with Ezemvelo.pdf
- 4. Annex C Authority Communication Minutes of Meeting with Ezemvelo Part 2.pdf
- 4. Annex C Authority Communication Notification Letters.pdf
- 4. Annex C Authority Communication Notification Letters Part 2.pdf
- 4. Annex C Authority Communication Notification Letters Part 3.pdf
- 4. Annex C Authority Communication Ezemvelo Acknowledgement.pdf
- 5.Annex D Specialist Studies Marine Ecology.pdf
- 6.Annex D Specialist Studies Fisheries.pdf
- 7.Annex D Specialist Studies Maritime Heritage Impact Assessment.pdf
- 7.Annex D Specialist Studies Oil Spill Modelling.pdf
- 9.Annex D Specialist Studies Cutting Modelling.pdf
- 10.Annex D Specialist Studies Peer Review of ERM Oil Spill Report.pdf
- 11.Annex D Specialist Studies NTS of ERM Oil Spill Report.pdf
- 12.Annex D Specialist Studies Socio Economic Baseline.pdf
- 13.Annex D Specialist Studies CVs of Specialists.pdf
- 14.Annex E Determination of Financial Provision.pdf
- 15.Annex F Environmental Management Programme.pdf
- 16.Annex G Project Report Glossary.pdf
IsiZulu Comments and Responses
Release of Draft EIA Report
The comment period for the Draft EIA Report closed on 8 November 2018. Thank you to those who have submitted comment. These comments, together with a response will be included in the final EIA.
Following stakeholder requests made at the Open House meetings in Richard’s Bay and Durban, the draft EIA report has been translated into isiZulu, and can be downloaded here:
The Report is available below, on request from ERM, and at the following public locations:
- Durban Central Lending Public Library
- Austerville Library
- Richards Bay Library
- Port Shepstone Library
- East London Central Library
- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality – Linton Grange Library
- ERM offices, Suite S005, 17 The Boulevard, Westway Office Park, Westville
Open House Meetings
Open house meetings were held as per the schedule below. A copy of the posters that were on display at the meetings can be viewed here:
- 1.Welcome poster final a2.pdf
- 2.Instructions Poster v1- FINAL a2.pdf
- 3. Code of Conduct Poster final a2.pdf
- 4.EIA Process Poster FINAL.pdf
- 5.ENI Project Description_FINAL.pdf
- 6.Logistics FINAL.pdf
- 7.Marine Ecology poster FINAL.pdf
- 8.Eni Fisheries poster_Final.pdf
- 9.Other Impacts poster final.pdf
- 10.Unplanned events Poster final.pdf
- 11.EIA SA oil spill poster_final durban.pdf
- 12 Eni Response measures_final.pdf
- 13.Eni EMPr poster_final.pdf
- 14.EIA Public Consultation SA - Poster SUST_1.pdf
- 15.EIA Public Consultation SA - ENI 2 Poster Climate Strategy.pdf
Day and Date |
Location |
Venue |
Time |
Wednesday 3 October 2018 Port Elizabeth |
Port Elizabeth Open House isiXhosa translator to be present |
Boardwalk Hotel, Beach Rd, Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, 6019 |
15:00 – 18:00 |
Thursday 4 October 2018 East London |
East London Open House isiXhosa translator to be present |
Blue Lagoon hotel & Conference Centre, 21 Blue Bend Pl, Blue Bend, East London |
15:00 – 18:00 |
Monday 8 October 2018 Richards Bay |
Richards Bay Open House isiZulu translator to be present |
Premier Hotel The Richards, 3 Hibberd Dr, Meer En See, Richards Bay |
15:00 – 18:00 |
Tuesday 9 October 2018 Durban |
Durban Open House isiZulu translator to be present |
Gooderson Tropicana Hotel, 85 OR Tambo Parade, South Beach, Durban |
15:00 – 18:00 |
Wednesday 10 October 2018 Port Shepstone |
Port Shepstone Open House isiZulu translator to be present |
Venture Inn, 366 Commercial Rd, Umtentweni, Port Shepstone |
15:00 – 18:00 |
Download the Draft EIA Report Here:
- Eni_SA_NTS_ Drilling_Final.pdf
- Eni NTS Drlling Xhosa.pdf
- Eni NTS Drilling_Zulu.pdf
- Eni SA Draft EIA Drilling Zulu.pdf
- Eni_SA_Draft EIA_ Drilling_Final.pdf
- Annex A_Details of the EAP.pdf
- Annex B1_Public Participation_StakeholderDataBase.pdf
- Annex B2_Public Participation_NotificationMaterial.pdf
- Annex B3_Public Participation_Notification_cont.pdf
- Annex B4_Public Participation_Scoping Engagement.pdf
- Annex B5_Public Participation_EIA_Engagement.pdf
- Annex B6_Public Participation_CommentsandResponses.pdf
- Annex B7_Public Participation_CommentsReceived.pdf
- Annex C_Authority Communication.pdf
- Annex D Oil_Spill_Modelling_Report.pdf
- Annex D1 Marine_Ecology.pdf
- Annex D2 Fisheries_Study.pdf
- Annex D3 Marine_Heritage_Study.pdf
- Annex D5 Cuttings_Modelling_Report.pdf
- Annex D6 PeerReview_Oil_Spill_Report.pdf
- Annex D7 NTS_Oil_Spill_Report.pdf
- Annex D8 Social_Baseline.pdf
- Annex E_Financial Provisions_Combined.pdf
Final Scoping Report
The Final Scoping Report for the proposed Exploration Drilling within Block ER236, off the East Coast of South Africa was submitted to the Petroleum Agency South Africa (PASA) for consideration on 08 March 2018 and approved on 16 April 2018.
Download the Final Scoping Report below:
- Eni_Final_Scoping_Report_08March2018.pdf
- Annex A_Team_CVs.pdf
- 1.Annex_B_Engagement_Materials.pdf
- 2.Annex_B_Engagement_Materials.pdf
- 3.Annex_B_Engagement_Materials.pdf
- 4.Annex_B_Engagement_Materials.pdf
- 5.Annex_B_Engagement_Materials.pdf
- 6.Annex_B_Engagement_Materials.pdf
- Annex_C_Comments_Responses_Report.pdf
- Annex_D_Attendence_Registers.pdf