Abstract

SINGH, Jerome A.; LE ROUX, Aliza  and  NAIDOO, Sershen. Marine seismic surveys for hydrocarbon exploration: What's at stake?. S. Afr. j. sci. [online]. 2022, vol.118, n.3-4, pp.1-7. ISSN 1996-7489.  https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2022/13420.

SIGNIFICANCE: We argue that the immediate, intermediate, and long-term implications of seismic surveys for hydrocarbon exploration merit noting. If seismic surveys detect feasible hydrocarbon deposits, they effectively serve as a precursor to hydrocarbon extraction and consumption. The additional greenhouse gas emissions that will originate from new oil and gas fields in South Africa will push the world closer to the tipping point of breaching the limit of 1.5 °C targeted at the 2021 COP26 UN climate summit, and should thus be avoided at all costs. South Africa's pursuit of energy self-sufficiency through local fossil fuel extraction should not come at the cost of its unique biodiversity nor planetary health.

Keywords : seismic surveys; climate change; greenhouse gases; marine life; biodiversity.

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