British oil major Shell is seeking South African government permission to drill up to five exploration and or appraisal wells in the prolific, offshore Orange Basin located west of the country.

Shell has engaged international environmental consultancy SLR to undertake the public consultations, set to close on August 8.

The proposed activities within licence block Northern Cape Ultra Deep, said SLR in a draft scoping report it issued on July 7, include drilling the exploration and/or appraisal wells, vertical seismic profiling, well testing, plugging and abandonment of wells and associated geophysical surveys.

The block is some 300 km offshore, in water depths of 2,500 to 3,200 metres. The area of interest for drilling is approximately 5,254 square kilometres in extent.

The Orange Basin, which straddles South Africa and Namibia's common maritime border, has become a hydrocarbon exploration hotspot since the first find was declared in 2022.

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