{"id":404035,"date":"2025-09-22T11:26:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T09:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=404035"},"modified":"2025-09-22T11:26:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T09:26:19","slug":"north-sea-has-three-times-more-oil-and-gas-than-government-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=404035","title":{"rendered":"North Sea \u2018has three times more oil and gas\u2019 than Government claims"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"An<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reserves could cover the UK\u2019s entire fossil fuel demand during shift to net zero, analysts believe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Britain\u2019s North Sea could yield up to three times more oil and gas than the Government has suggested, leading analysts have found. The Telegraph<\/a> has the story.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood Mackenzie, which monitors oil and gas fields around the world and is renowned as a global leader in energy data, estimated that there could be up to 14 billion barrels worth of recoverable oil and gas<\/a> in existing North Sea fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is more than three times larger than the four billion barrels estimated to remain in place by Ed Miliband\u2019s offshore regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If accurate, Wood Mackenzie\u2019s data suggests UK oil and gas reserves could cover the country\u2019s entire fossil fuel demand during the planned transition to net zero by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its AI-powered analysis, the company looked at \u201crecovery rates\u201d \u2013 meaning the proportion of oil and gas in a field that can actually be extracted. Data from North Sea fields<\/a> were compared with 35,000 others around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It said: \u201cIf UK fields were able to match recovery factors from analogous global fields, an additional 9pc could be recovered. If best-in-class recovery factors were matched, an additional 18pc of recovery could be added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese scenarios would potentially add seven and 14 billion barrels of additional production, respectively, over the lives of the 100 largest fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The actual amounts could be even larger. The NSTA itself estimates that there could be an additional 15 billion barrels in unexplored areas outside of existing fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UK\u2019s offshore operators have extracted 47 billion barrels of oil from the North Sea, Irish Sea and Atlantic waters over the last five decades. Annual output peaked at about 243 million tonnes in 1999 but since then it has steadily declined, reaching 60 million tonnes last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Line<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Read the full story here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Britain\u2019s North Sea could yield up to three times more oil and gas than the Government has suggested, leading analysts have found.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":404040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"Discover how the North Sea could yield three times more oil and gas than estimated, meeting UK's fossil fuel demand during the net-zero transition.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"UK North Sea Oil Reserves Could Exceed 14 Billion Barrels","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691831484,691818154,691820049,691833118],"class_list":{"0":"post-404035","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-energy-secretary-ed-miliband","9":"tag-net-zero","10":"tag-north-sea-oil-and-gas","11":"tag-north-sea-transition-authority-nsta","13":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQOMMwvE3fwJcJ_AywWXlQsg6pAonaGrhWv7-6Ptu_ij9jf4drGAZ0XGiU7Tc51T6wC2R8C2sSFMtYmwHCK3N6Jk8shMVYICNuKNw5QCu_Uda1oPdaZcph4BJGeDPBK5kjAvc8aDPMzvezOJgG6YXySVWkqBRQ-1.jpeg?fit=1280%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1H6H","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":402521,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=402521","url_meta":{"origin":404035,"position":0},"title":"How Ed Miliband cost Britain one billion barrels of North Sea oil","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"16\/09\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"For Ed Miliband, it\u2019s a truly awkward moment. His own statisticians have released data showing that Britain\u2019s North Sea will produce a billion barrels of oil and gas fewer than expected between now and 2050 \u2013 with analysts linking the downgrade to Labour\u2019s imposition of 78pc taxes and a\u00a0ban on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"energy industry\"","block_context":{"text":"energy industry","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=energy-industry"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQNFe22cLcy4vvsiflRwz-QuWoAx2srDMxkjlEV5In7DpggL0p_Wctxk-yQhHgDaQGR5UeKd9OjtkPsEWZV-u2tBYv3nm6cQfnvZJ7ipYqtv6uKu5LTv3sy7wailQvEAwvhS40k5T4htVBKN_lDnz5CglpkZLA-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQNFe22cLcy4vvsiflRwz-QuWoAx2srDMxkjlEV5In7DpggL0p_Wctxk-yQhHgDaQGR5UeKd9OjtkPsEWZV-u2tBYv3nm6cQfnvZJ7ipYqtv6uKu5LTv3sy7wailQvEAwvhS40k5T4htVBKN_lDnz5CglpkZLA-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQNFe22cLcy4vvsiflRwz-QuWoAx2srDMxkjlEV5In7DpggL0p_Wctxk-yQhHgDaQGR5UeKd9OjtkPsEWZV-u2tBYv3nm6cQfnvZJ7ipYqtv6uKu5LTv3sy7wailQvEAwvhS40k5T4htVBKN_lDnz5CglpkZLA-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQNFe22cLcy4vvsiflRwz-QuWoAx2srDMxkjlEV5In7DpggL0p_Wctxk-yQhHgDaQGR5UeKd9OjtkPsEWZV-u2tBYv3nm6cQfnvZJ7ipYqtv6uKu5LTv3sy7wailQvEAwvhS40k5T4htVBKN_lDnz5CglpkZLA-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0AQNFe22cLcy4vvsiflRwz-QuWoAx2srDMxkjlEV5In7DpggL0p_Wctxk-yQhHgDaQGR5UeKd9OjtkPsEWZV-u2tBYv3nm6cQfnvZJ7ipYqtv6uKu5LTv3sy7wailQvEAwvhS40k5T4htVBKN_lDnz5CglpkZLA-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":438237,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=438237","url_meta":{"origin":404035,"position":1},"title":"North Sea Gas Delivers \u00a32.5 Billion Windfall for Britain","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"09\/04\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A recent analysis from investment bank Stifel confirms that North Sea gas saved the UK around \u00a32.5 billion in 2025. This figure comes from relying on cheaper domestic offshore production rather than more expensive imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).","rel":"","context":"In \"Ed Miliband\u2019s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)\"","block_context":{"text":"Ed Miliband\u2019s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=ed-milibands-department-of-energy-security-and-net-zero-desnz"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-North-Sea-Gas-Delivers-2.5-Billion-Windfall-for-Britain.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-North-Sea-Gas-Delivers-2.5-Billion-Windfall-for-Britain.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-North-Sea-Gas-Delivers-2.5-Billion-Windfall-for-Britain.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-North-Sea-Gas-Delivers-2.5-Billion-Windfall-for-Britain.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-North-Sea-Gas-Delivers-2.5-Billion-Windfall-for-Britain.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":299809,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=299809","url_meta":{"origin":404035,"position":2},"title":"Most North Sea oil and gas projects would be \u2018unviable\u2019 under Labour plans","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/02\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Three-quarters of all the North Sea\u2019s new oil and gas projects would be rendered\u00a0economically unviable under Labour\u2019s tax proposals, industry chiefs have warned.","rel":"","context":"In \"Labour plans\"","block_context":{"text":"Labour plans","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=labour-plans"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0AA1mBbLe.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0AA1mBbLe.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0AA1mBbLe.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0AA1mBbLe.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0AA1mBbLe.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":416793,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=416793","url_meta":{"origin":404035,"position":3},"title":"The North Sea Strategy is a Roadmap to Ruin","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/12\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The UK\u2019s North Sea oil and gas industry has powered the nation for over 50 years. Yet the Government\u2019s decision in the November Budget to maintain the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) at 78% threatened that resource in minutes.","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon footprint\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon footprint","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-footprint"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQOMMwvE3fwJcJ_AywWXlQsg6pAonaGrhWv7-6Ptu_ij9jf4drGAZ0XGiU7Tc51T6wC2R8C2sSFMtYmwHCK3N6Jk8shMVYICNuKNw5QCu_Uda1oPdaZcph4BJGeDPBK5kjAvc8aDPMzvezOJgG6YXySVWkqBRQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQOMMwvE3fwJcJ_AywWXlQsg6pAonaGrhWv7-6Ptu_ij9jf4drGAZ0XGiU7Tc51T6wC2R8C2sSFMtYmwHCK3N6Jk8shMVYICNuKNw5QCu_Uda1oPdaZcph4BJGeDPBK5kjAvc8aDPMzvezOJgG6YXySVWkqBRQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQOMMwvE3fwJcJ_AywWXlQsg6pAonaGrhWv7-6Ptu_ij9jf4drGAZ0XGiU7Tc51T6wC2R8C2sSFMtYmwHCK3N6Jk8shMVYICNuKNw5QCu_Uda1oPdaZcph4BJGeDPBK5kjAvc8aDPMzvezOJgG6YXySVWkqBRQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQOMMwvE3fwJcJ_AywWXlQsg6pAonaGrhWv7-6Ptu_ij9jf4drGAZ0XGiU7Tc51T6wC2R8C2sSFMtYmwHCK3N6Jk8shMVYICNuKNw5QCu_Uda1oPdaZcph4BJGeDPBK5kjAvc8aDPMzvezOJgG6YXySVWkqBRQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0AQOMMwvE3fwJcJ_AywWXlQsg6pAonaGrhWv7-6Ptu_ij9jf4drGAZ0XGiU7Tc51T6wC2R8C2sSFMtYmwHCK3N6Jk8shMVYICNuKNw5QCu_Uda1oPdaZcph4BJGeDPBK5kjAvc8aDPMzvezOJgG6YXySVWkqBRQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":256678,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=256678","url_meta":{"origin":404035,"position":4},"title":"UK Government is playing into Putin\u2019s hands","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"09\/05\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Net Zero Watch has warned that the Government\u2019s ban on fracking and its strangling of North Sea oil and gas investment is playing into Russian hands.","rel":"","context":"In \"fossil fuel\"","block_context":{"text":"fossil fuel","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=fossil-fuel"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/00Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-13.14.53.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/00Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-13.14.53.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/00Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-13.14.53.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/00Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-13.14.53.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/00Screenshot-2023-05-09-at-13.14.53.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":430095,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=430095","url_meta":{"origin":404035,"position":5},"title":"Iran War Shuts Hormuz \u2013 Time to Ditch Miliband’s North Sea Suicide Plan","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/03\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The ongoing geopolitical tensions and conflict involving Iran, specifically an Iranian attack on a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Qatar, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz (through which about 20% of global oil passes), and broader Middle East instability, have driven sharp spikes in global oil and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Energy Secretary Ed Miliband\"","block_context":{"text":"Energy Secretary Ed Miliband","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=energy-secretary-ed-miliband"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Iran-War-Shuts-Hormuz-%E2%80%93-Time-to-Ditch-Milibands-North-Sea-Suicide-Plan1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Iran-War-Shuts-Hormuz-%E2%80%93-Time-to-Ditch-Milibands-North-Sea-Suicide-Plan1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Iran-War-Shuts-Hormuz-%E2%80%93-Time-to-Ditch-Milibands-North-Sea-Suicide-Plan1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Iran-War-Shuts-Hormuz-%E2%80%93-Time-to-Ditch-Milibands-North-Sea-Suicide-Plan1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=404035"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404035\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":404041,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404035\/revisions\/404041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/404040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=404035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=404035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=404035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}