The North Sea could produce about half of the oil and gas the UK needs over the next 25 years if new projects can be developed, industry chiefs have said.
The Offshore Energies UK trade association (OEUK) said that, as it stands, the UK is on track to produce four billion of the 13 to 15 billion barrels of oil and gas the country will need in the run-up to 2050.
However, OEUK argued that by “unlocking additional resources from waters around the coast” this could be increased to about seven billion barrels – a move which the industry body said could be worth £150 billion to the UK economy.
Speaking as it published its 2025 Business Outlook report, chief executive David Whitehouse said this could only happen if the UK government consents to new projects.
In January, Donald Trump criticised the UK’s move away from oil and gas production, urging the country to “open up” the North Sea and get rid of “windmills”.
Speaking while US president-elect, Mr Trump said in a social media post that Britain was “making a very big mistake” with its energy policy.
Since Labour came to power in July 2024, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has maintained it will not issue licences to explore new fields, as it seeks to reduce emissions towards the target of the UK achieving net zero by 2050.
The government has announced plans to end the windfall tax on oil and gas profits in 2030 and has launched a consultation on the future of the North Sea energy sector.
This month, DESNZ will talk to communities, businesses, trade unions, workers and green groups to develop a plan for a phased offshore energy transition in the region. The two-month consultation will look at harnessing the North Sea's existing infrastructure, natural assets and expertise to deploy new technologies, such as hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and renewables.
Mr Whitehouse, however, said that while “the bulk of that additional oil and gas” could come from existing fields, it would “require new projects to meet that target” of the UK producing seven billion barrels.
He noted that independent advisers at the Climate Change Committee had said that to achieve net zero by 2050 the UK would need 13 billion to 15 billion barrels of oil and gas.
“Today, we’re on track to produce only four billion of those barrels in the UK, but with the right polices to encourage firms to invest we could unlock another three billion barrels and meet half our entire needs,” said Mr Whitehouse.
Such a move would add £150 billion of gross value to the UK economy, he said.
“Energy security is national security. In an increasingly volatile world, the widening gap between the energy we produce and what we import matters," Mr Whitehouse added.
“People all recognise that on the journey to net zero we will need oil and gas for decades to come. It makes sense for the UK to produce as much as it can itself.”
Ben Ward, market intelligence manager for OEUK, said gas from the North Sea had fewer carbon emissions associated with it than imported gas.
“On average imported energy, liquefied natural gas, has a carbon intensity of four times the emissions of domestically produced gas. So there is a real environmental benefit to producing as much gas domestically as we can.”
Even while the UK strives towards net zero, Mr Ward said oil and gas would continue to “play a significant part” in meeting its energy needs
“By 2050, a fifth of the energy we consume will still be oil and gas, even under a net-zero scenario,” he said. “If we make the right choices we can produce half of that domestically ourselves."
Mr Ward added: “As we look forward, oil and gas will still maintain a massive part of our energy sector and we need to make sure we are producing as much of that domestically as we can to protect jobs, to generate income, to create energy security.”
OEUK’s Business Outlook report insists that “there are still substantial opportunities in oil and gas in the UKCS [UK Continental Shelf]” – noting there were four billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) “at various states of readiness” with a further two to three billion BOE “available to develop over time”.
The report said: “The UK is projected to use at least 13-15 billion BOE by 2050. Using its own resources would help build energy security, support the exchequer and benefit the environment.”
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “Oil and gas production will continue to play an important role for decades to come, with the majority of future production in the North Sea expected to come from producing fields or fields already being developed on existing licences.
“New licences awarded in the last decade have made only a marginal difference to overall oil and gas production.
“Only by sprinting to clean power by 2030 can the UK take back control of its energy and protect both family and national finances from fossil fuel price spikes.”
