Operation Phakisa’s oil and gas group has identified the need to develop localised capability in this sphere and has consequently tasked the D2 working group with initiatives aimed at developing South African capability in subsurface research and data gathering, says national exploration regulator Petroleum Agency of South Africa (Pasa) resource development manager Dave van der Spuy.

The D2 working group comprising representatives from the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Council for Geoscience (CGS), the South African Maritime Safety Authority and Pasa and has liaised with a number of other organisations as required.

Van der Spuy notes that the D2 working group was tasked with three broad deliverables. The first was to ensure that young geoscientists are able to take advantage of the learning and capacity building opportunities afforded by commercial oil and gas exploration operations, such as seismic acquisition voyages.

“These stipulations have now been formally included in the permit and rights contracts issued to explorers and implementation is ongoing,” he states.

The second D2 broad deliverable concerned investigating the feasibility of a State-owned research vessel, focussed on subsurface capability. Van der Spuy elaborates that this initiative comprised two subactivities, including the identification of a suitable vessel and the use of such a vessel.

He comments that the first of these involved a review of the existing capabilities of State-owned vessels, followed by an in-depth look at requirements in terms of vessel specifications, capability and scientific equipment and staff.

This was followed up by a cost-benefit analysis that examined the many options available, ranging from retrofitting an existing vessel to the construction of a new purpose-built vessel.

Van der Spuy remarks that the study also considered a range of data gathering capabilities, such as two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismics. “This work culminated in the group making a recommendation through the Operation Phakisa Delivery Unit to government,” he highlights.

Further, the second subactivity involves the potential use of such a vessel. Van der Spuy explains that the group considered the likely use of a South African-owned research vessel with specialised subsurface capability.

He says that the options examined included support of the objectives of Pasa under its mandate to attract oil and gas explorers to the country’s offshore acreage, support of the work of State-owned oil company PetroSA, in its efforts to better understand the prospectivity of the acreage it holds, and the requirements of the CGS, the mandate of which is to understand the mineral wealth potential of South Africa’s offshore territory.

Van der Spuy remarks that there is a need to assess the seabed mineral deposits known to occur in the world’s oceans beyond the boundaries of national jurisdictions.

The International Seabed Authority has a well-established system of regulating ocean mineral exploration and several countries have already claimed large tracts of seabed. Claims to these areas are based on, among others, exploration surveys of the seabed showing sufficiently positive results.

He says that other uses of the vessel include support of the existing national fleet in carrying out the research initiatives managed by the DST, as well as those of academic institutions. Van der Spuy adds that possible use by neighbouring countries on a contract basis was also considered.

He notes that the third broad deliverable involved generating oil and gas knowledge through research and development. “This activity examined current academic programmes in South Africa and strategies and frameworks to attract researchers and support academic programmes,” Van der Spuy explains.

About Operation Phakisa

Operation Phakisa was launched by The Presidency in July 2014, with the first laboratories bringing together hundreds of individuals from the public and private sectors to investigate ways of stimulating South Africa’s ocean-based economy.

Four critical areas were explored to unlock the potential of the country’s coastline, namely marine transport and manufacturing, offshore oil and gas exploration, aquaculture and marine protection services and ocean governance.