HC Deb 14 November 1977 vol 939 cc17-8W
Mr. Dykes

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list those companies or groupings currently engaged in North Sea oil development with which the British National Oil Corporation is at present involved in discussions to reach agreement in participation; and what progress these negotiations have so far made.

Dr. J. Dickson Mabon

A wide range of agreements has now been concluded as a result of the negotiations for majority State participation being conducted by my Department and the BNOC with oil companies with interests under existing licences. List A below comprises those companies with which participation agreements have been concluded in final form, though some are subject to certain technical clearances. List B below comprises those companies which have signed outline agreements, where negotiations continue to convert the outline agreements to final form. List C comprises those companies with which negotiations have started but which have yet to reach agreement with us.

List A

  • Ashland Oil (GB) Ltd (Thistle interest only)
  • British Petroleum Company Ltd
  • Conoco Ltd and Conoco North Sea Inc
  • Deminex Oil and Gas Ltd and Deminex UK Exploration & Production Ltd
  • Gulf Oil (Great Britain) Ltd and Gulf Oil Corporation
  • Occidental Group:
  • Allied Chemical (Great Britain) Ltd Getty Oil (Britain) Ltd
  • Occidental Petroleum (UK) Ltd Thomson North Sea Ltd
  • Ranger Oil (UK) Ltd Santa Fe (UK) Ltd
  • Texaco North Sea UK Ltd and Texaco North Sea UK Co
  • Tricentrol Thistle Development Ltd
  • Union Group:
  • DNO (Heather) Ltd
  • Skelly Oil Exploration (UK) Ltd
  • Tenneco Great Britain Ltd
    • 18
  • Unocal Exploration & Production Co (UK) Ltd

List B

  • Amerada Exploration Ltd and Amerada Petroleum Corporation of the United Kingdom Ltd
  • Amoco UK Petroleum Ltd and Amoco (UK) Exploration Co
  • Brae Group:
  • Ashland Oil (GB) Ltd
  • Bow Valley Exploration (UK) Ltd
  • Canadian Ashland Oil (UK) Ltd
  • LL & E (GB) Ltd Pan Ocean (UK) Ltd
  • Saga Petroleum A/s & Co
  • Siebens Oil and Gas (UK) Ltd
  • Sunningdale Oils Ltd
  • Buchan Group:
  • CanDel Petroleum (UK) Ltd
  • CCP North Sea Associates Ltd
  • Charterhall Oil Ltd
  • City Petroleum Company
  • Gas & Oil Acreage Ltd
  • St Joe Petroleum (UK) Corporation Transworld Petroleum (UK) Ltd
  • Chevron Petroleum (UK) Ltd
  • Esso Petroleum Company Ltd
  • Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd
  • Mobil North Sea Ltd and Mobil Producing North Sea Ltd
  • Murphy Petroleum Ltd and Ocean Exploration Company Ltd
  • Shell (UK) Ltd
  • Texas Eastern (UK) Ltd and North Sea, Inc

List C

  • Hamilton Group:
    • Blackfriars Oil Company Ltd
    • Hamilton Brothers Oil Co (Great Britain) Ltd and Hamilton Brothers Petroleum (UK) Ltd
    • RTZ Oil and Gas Ltd
    • Trans-European Company Ltd
  • London & Scottish Marine Oil Co Ltd/Scottish Canadian Oil & Transportation Co Ltd
  • Beatrice Group:
    • Creslenn (UK) Ltd
    • Hunt Oil (UK) Ltd
    • Kerr-McGee Oil (UK) Ltd
    • Mesa (UK) Ltd
    • P & O Petroleum Ltd
    • Phillips Group:
    • AGIP (UK) Ltd
    • British Electric Traction Ltd
    • Century Power & Light Ltd
    • Fina Exploration Ltd
    • Phillips Petroleum Exploration UK Ltd
    • Ultramar Exploration Ltd