Australian energy firm, Invictus Energy Limited (IEL) passed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) compliance assesment administered by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA). This means that the company will now be able to commence actual field exploration and drilling in the Southern areas of the country where studies have shown there is there are probable gas and oil deposits. Drilling and field activities will be required to confirm whether there are really deposits or not.

The approval of the environmental management plan concludes the permitting requirements and enables the company to commence and undertake activities in the field, including seismic acquisition and exploration drilling.

The EIA study was conducted by independent environmental consultants, the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC).
The full EIA assessment included field surveys and baseline measurements of hydrology, ecology, environmental, archaeological, hydrogeological, soil surveys and socioeconomic and community consultations of the key project stakeholders, local leaders, relevant government ministries and government extension offices.