A South African court has overturned an environmental authorisation for offshore drilling given to French energy giant TotalEnergies. The country’s High Court said the green light for exploratory operations in Block 5/6/7 off Cape Town, given in 2023, had been reviewed and “set aside”. The block is owned by PetroSA, the operator TotalEnergies, and supermajor Shell. Several environmental lobby groups launched a legal challenge against the drilling program, claiming possible harm to marine life. Green Connection, one of the groups which took this matter to court, claimed that oil spill and blowout contingency plans were kept from the public until after approval, which didn’t give local communities a chance to comment. Natural Justice, a group of environmental lawyers, added that the ruling affirmed that all companies must follow due process before asking to be cleared for oil exploration off South Africa. “We will continue to turn to our courts to ensure that impacts of oil and gas exploration and production are properly scrutinised and that our people and our resources are not exploited,” the organisation said. TotalEnergies claimed to local media outlets that the joint venture complied with all local regulations, including environmental and social. However, the company was given a lifeline by the courts. The judge stated that it could reapply for authorisation after public consultation. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsFrance South Africa