A South African court banned the hydrocarbon giant on Tuesday Shell to carry out a seismic exploration in front of the tourist “Wild Coast“, in the east of the country, a victory for environmentalists.
Earlier this month, a court had rejected his request for an urgent ban on this project to search for oil and gas deposits, due to a seismic campaign, planned for four or five months in the region, over an area of more than 6,000 km2. .
“We respect the court’s decision and suspend the study while we examine the sentence,” a Shell spokesperson said when asked by AFP.
“Studies of this nature have been carried out for more than 50 years, with more than 15 years of deep scientific research,” he argued. “South Africa it relies heavily on imports to meet its energy needs. If viable resources are discovered at sea, this could contribute significantly to the energy security of the country, “he added.
The South African energy minister defended the Shell project, accusing its opponents of blocking the economic investments the country needs, after numerous demonstrations by environmentalists and opponents were held in early December.
Open to the Indian Ocean, the “Wild Coast” stretches for about 300 km and has several nature reserves and marine protected areas.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx