The Provincial Minister for Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, visited Port of Cape Town to observe the Deepsea Stavanger oil and gas drill rigs crew change
Minister Maynier met with representatives of Odjfell Drilling, owners of the Deepsea Stavangar, and AfriShore Shipping, who run the drilling campaign on behalf of Total, during his visit.
Minister Maynier welcomed the Deepsea Stavanger to Cape Town while aboard the Bourbon Calm, one of the support vessels. “The arrival of the drill rig is an exciting development for the South African oil and gas industry, and a symbol of the investment that will be shared in the Garden Route and the Western Cape by the local and regional economy,” the minister said.
“As a result of COVID-19 this project has faced many challenges and I am grateful to all those at the Mossel Bay Municipality and the Western Cape government who have worked hard to provide the assistance needed to make this investment possible,” he added.
The oil and gas exploration drilling campaign, which is expected to last between 180-300 days, will see US$86.3mn (R1.5 billion) invested in the South African economy, including a number of initiatives to create employment opportunities and local economy skills development.
South Africans have filled 43 on-shore positions from Mossel Bay, including seven women specifically appointed as part of an ongoing skill transfer programme.
On hearing that the Deepsea Stavanger had arrived in Cape Town. Mossel Bay Municipal Manager Adv Thys Giliomee, said, “Mossel Bay Municipality is looking forward to working closely with Total during the exploration off our coast and hopefully Total will be able to conduct much of its on-shore operations from Mossel Bay. Given the economic challenges during COVID-19, Mossel Bay welcomes initiatives that may stimulate our local and regional economy and that may result in job opportunities.”
