Shell ruling casts shadow over South Africa

The court’s decision on the major’s seismic survey could have wider implications for the country’s upstream

Shell’s future in South Africa remains in doubt after a court decision late last year caused the major to suspend a seismic survey of the Wild Coast region of the Eastern Cape. That in turn has spurred speculation about how Shell’s legal problems and the attendant bad publicity might impact the rest of the country’s upstream sector, particularly as the energy transition gathers pace. The court halted the survey due to concerns over its impact on marine life, particularly mammals such as whales. Shell’s survey ship has since departed South African waters, ostensibly due to a limited weather window to carry out work. The company stresses the halt is only temporary, but it might signal that the