Development of Ibhubesi Gasfields, West Coast, South Africa

Client: Forest Oil International

Area: Greater Southern African Region

Timeline: August 2003 – Current

Details: OneWorld was retained by this exploration company in 2003 to construct an integrated Sustainable Development blueprint in the development of its Southern African operations. The brief entailed:

  • Macro-Economic Impact assessment
  • Social Impact Assessment
  • Stakeholder Identification
  • Stakeholder Engagement Strategy (Plan and Process)
  • Social Development Plan
  • Public Participation Programme (with regard to Environmental legislation)
  • Communications Strategy
  • Sustainable development blueprint for the organisation
  • Market uptake analysis
  • Carbon Credit analysis

The OneWorld team handled the entire stakeholder engagement as well as handling consultation with national and local government, various coastal communities, parastatals, businesses, local and international investors and a wide range of interested and affected parties – which is an on-going component of the project.

Public Participation Processes were conducted throughout the West Coast Region with OneWorld facilitating three sets of PP meetings and workshops in four municipalities and six towns.

In addition, OneWorld established a Knowledge Management Platform whereby mechanisms were developed to facilitate knowledge sharing and effective dissemination of information to relevant (often non-computerised) communities, other stakeholder organisations, NGO’s and government departments.

Our Sustainable Development Blueprint focuses on a ‘Parallel Economies Programme’, seeking to stimulate economic development and environmental protection by establishing various enterprises founded on the pillars of sustainable development.

Supported by several major industries in the region, the aim of these programmes is to build local economies thereby reducing economic dependence on the extractive industries.

The objective of the market uptake analysis is to ensure optimal use of a competitively priced new natural resource for South Africa thereby ensuring that benefit from optimal participation in natural gas development stays within the country.