Latest Gas Discovery by Total Off Mossel Bay a “Game Changer”

A second discovery of gas condensate by Total off Mossel Bay has been hailed as a “game changer” by the minister of mineral resources and energy Gwede Mantashe.

Total said in a statement from Paris yesterday that it had made a significant gas condensate discovery on the Luiperd prospect, in the Outeniqua Basin, 175 kilometers off the southern coast of South Africa. This discovery followed the adjacent play opening Brulpadda discovery in 2019, which proved a significant new petroleum province in the region.

“We are very pleased with this second discovery and its very encouraging results, which prove the world-class nature of this offshore gas play,” said Arnaud Breuillac, President Exploration & Production at Total.

“This discovery is a game changer,” said Mantashe in a statement. “We strongly believe this will further support our initiatives to revitalise our National Petroleum Company.”

The block in question covers an area of 19,000 square kilometers, with water depths ranging from 200 to 1,800 meters. It is operated by Total with a 45 percent working interest, alongside Qatar Petroleum (25 percent), CNR international (20 percent) and Main Street, a South African consortium (10 percent).

Mantashe said the exploration project had injected R1.5 billion into the local economy.