Environmental Baseline Survey, Block 567 – South Africa – 2022 – TotalEnergies E&P South Africa B.V.

TotalEnergies E&P South Africa (TEEPSA) contracted Benthic Solutions Limited (BSL) for the provision of an Environmental Baseline Study (EBS) within Block 5/6/7 located off the southwest coast of South Africa. Survey operations within Block 5/6/7 were carried out aboard the supply vessel Bourbon Evolution 807 between the 8th and 27th of November 2022. Environmental operations were conducted across the 10,422km2 Priority Area to gather information on the physico-chemical and biological environment prior to drilling activities. Block 5/6/7 is located in an area that extends from the continental slope to deep bathyal plain up to 300 km offshore from the South African coast. Water depth of surveyed stations ranged from 677 to 3,115 m below sea level. The sampling strategy was designed by BSL and Creocean to follow TEEPSA set investigation targets and station selection rationale. The sampling plan consisted of sediment and water column sampling combined with seabed video acquisition in order to provide a greater understanding of the regional seabed habitats. Opportunistic marine megafauna observations were also to be undertaken during the survey to provide an understanding of the marine mammal communities present in the Block. This survey included characterisation of the seabed and water column physico-chemistry and biology, as well as, opportunistic observations of marine megafauna by marine mammal observations (MMO) and passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), to provide an understanding of the baseline conditions prior to commencing further drilling and development activities.

The main objectives for the survey were to:
• Acquire baseline data of sediment and water column physico-chemical characteristics within the survey area.
• Identify and assess any existing pollutants within the sediment and the water column, in particular, those related to oil and gas activities within the survey area.
• Identify sensitive habitats or species susceptible to disturbance from drilling and construction related activities.
• Establish an understanding of the natural variation in environmental conditions against which the environmental impact of future oil and gas operations can be assessed.

The sampling plan consisted of sediment and water column sampling combined with seabed video acquisition to provide a greater understanding of the regional seabed habitats. Opportunistic marine megafauna observations were also undertaken during the survey to provide an understanding of the marine mammal communities present in the Block.

Based on time constraints as a result of weather, the survey strategy was continually modified to acquire data for priority areas, or areas with no previous data, as agreed with the client.

TotalEnergies勘探与生产南非分公司（TEEPSA）委托Benthic Solutions Limited（BSL）在南非西南海岸的5/6/7区块进行环境基线研究（EBS）。5/6/7区块的勘查作业于2022年11月8日至27日乘坐供应船Bourbon Evolution 807号进行。环境作业在10,422平方公里的重点区域展开，旨在收集有关物理化学和生物环境的资料，以便在钻探活动之前进行。5/6/7区块位于从大陆坡延伸至深海平原的区域，距离南非海岸线300公里以内。勘查站点的水深介于677至3,115米以下海平面。采样策略由BSL和Creocean共同设计，旨在遵循TEEPSA设定的调查目标和站点选择依据。采样计划包括沉积物和水柱采样，以及海底视频采集，以更深入地了解区域海底栖息地。调查期间还进行了偶然性海洋巨无霸生物观测，以了解区块内存在的海洋哺乳动物群落。此次调查包括海底和水柱的物理化学和生物特征表征，以及通过海洋哺乳动物观测（MMO）和被动声学监测（PAM）进行的偶然性海洋巨无霸生物观测，以了解在开始进一步的钻探和开发活动之前的基线条件。调查的主要目标包括：获取调查区域内沉积物和水柱物理化学特性的基线数据；识别和评估沉积物和水柱中存在的污染物，特别是与调查区域内石油和天然气活动相关的污染物；识别对钻探和建设相关活动敏感的栖息地或物种；建立对环境条件自然变化的了解，以便评估未来石油和天然气运营的环境影响。采样计划包括沉积物和水柱采样，以及海底视频采集，以更深入地了解区域海底栖息地。调查期间还进行了偶然性海洋巨无霸生物观测，以了解区块内存在的海洋哺乳动物群落。由于天气原因导致的时间限制，调查策略不断调整，以获取客户同意的重点区域或无先前数据的区域的数据。