Shell is seeking government permission from authorities to drill up to five offshore wells off the west coast of South Africa, a draft scoping report from environmental consultancy SLR showed on Tuesday.
Shell Offshore Upstream South Africa and its joint venture partners need environmental authorisation from the government before they can operate in the Northern Cape Ultra Deep Block (NCUD) in the Orange Basin.
Water depths in the region range between 2 500 m and 3 200 m.
Operator Shell wants to drill exploration and appraisal wells as oil companies shift their focus south of Namibia, where a string of discoveries in its prolific Orange Basin holds the potential of more finds.
The Orange Basin extends southwards into South Africa waters and has also attracted the interest of rival TotalEnergies.