Shell South African partner HCI dismisses the fears about seismic surveys

Johannesburg | Shell's South African partner, HCI, has dismissed environmental activists' concerns about the seismic surveys' potential danger on marine life along the Wild Coast. According to HCI, halting the process could actually cause more problems for South Africa because it would force the country to rely solely on imported crude oil. 

• According to HCI, halting the process could actually cause more problems for South Africa because it would force the country to rely solely on imported crude oil.
• Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI) has published an open letter on its website dismissing evidence proving the biological impacts of seismic surveys conducted around the world on marine life."
• The HCI board has slammed the seismic survey criticism as 'poppycock,' claiming that the criticism is "greatly exaggerated" because numerous such offshore surveys had resulted in no deaths or injury to marine mammals.
• "HCI, on the other hand, believes that this is just part of an international campaign to stop all oil and gas exploration in South Africa.

Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI) has published an open letter on its website dismissing evidence proving the biological impacts of seismic surveys conducted around the world on marine life." No evidence that seismic testing has had any biologically significant impact on any marine populations in areas in which surveys have been conducted anywhere in the world," stated HCI on its official website. 

Hosken Consolidated Investments is a Western Cape-based investment holding company. The investment firm is a shareholder in Impact Oil and Gas, in which Shell holds a 50% stake.

The HCI board has slammed the seismic survey criticism as 'poppycock,' claiming that the criticism is "greatly exaggerated" because numerous such offshore surveys had resulted in no deaths or injury to marine mammals. Johnny Copelyn, CEO of HCI, agrees that the hype is unfounded, adding that "a refusal to develop SA's oil and gas potential is a luxury the country cannot afford."

HCI, on the other hand, believes that this is just part of an international campaign to stop all oil and gas exploration in South Africa. This statement also backs up the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, who previously stated that critics of Shell's blasting along the Wild Coast were aligned with forces opposed to SA's development.

The investment firm claims that it is not opposed to the goal of the world moving toward carbon-free energies, but it is opposed to the unfounded vilification that these campaigners are spreading and the unviable solution that they are attempting to offer South Africa, which will do nothing but hinder its development.

‘Our difference is we do not accept the viability of the solution they offer South Africa. Vilifying everyone who is involved even in carefully mitigated exploration work does not hasten us to a carbon-neutral South Africa. It simply inhibits growth and renders us dependent on oil imports.’ stated the open letter published on the HCI website.