HC Deb 13 April 1976 vol 909 c485W
Mr. Alexander Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how far the Government estimate that Great Britain's need for gas can be met from North Sea sources.

Mr. Eadie

We do not yet know the full extent of our North Sea reserves, but taking fields now under contract to British Gas and assuming that the contract quantities are delivered each year, the overall production rate should not fall below the 1975 level for about 15 years. Every new discovery made and brought under contract will delay the decline in the rate of production.