§ Mr. Rowlandsasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will list those licences in which acreage will be available for relinquishment within the next five years; how much will be available under each licence; and how many exploration wells have been sunk in each of these licensed areas.
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§ Mr. GrayI have taken the question as referring to seaward production licences. Under the terms of these, licensees are required at the end of a specified number of years to surrender a proportion of the acreage initially licensed to them. The following table lists seaward production licences which will reach this stage before 11 November 1986. In each case the relevant proportion required to be surrendered is not less than two-thirds.
Licences on which compulsory surrender of part of the licensed acreage is due before 11 November 1986 Licence No. (P) Acreage initially licensed (sq. kms.) Number of exploration wells drilled, or being drilled, at 11 November 1981 251 488.6 2 259 217.0 1 260 238.0 2 261 750.5 2 262 217.0 — 263 217.0 2 264 360.3 1 265 503.8 — 266 570.5 4 267 267.2 — 268 288.6 — 269 669.1 — 270 216.0 1 271 254.3 1 272 221.1 1 273 220.1 1 274 238.0 — 275 434.0 1 276 155.9 1 277 177.0 1 278 217.0 2 279 216.0 — 280 216.0 1 281 84.4 — 282 221.1 2 283 216.0 2 284 81.5 1 285 536.2 1 286 910.4 — 287 242.8 — 288 698.5 2 289 541.6 2 290 801.6 3 293 102.9 — 297 219.0 1 298 221.1 1 299 216.0 1 300 439.1 2 301 196.2 1 302 621.0 — 303 200.4 — 304 271.7 — 305 221.1 — 306 200.4 — 307 219.0 — 308 818.7 — 310 219.0 1 311 272.6 — 312 515.3 1 313 165.1 — 315 272.6 — 318 1,626.5 — 319 197.3 1 320 599.3 — 322 220.1 —
§ Mr. Rowlandsasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current estimated value of offshore and onshore 156W work servicing the North Sea; what percentage is taken by British companies; and what percentage is taken by (a) Americans, (b) Scandinavians, (c) Japanese and (d) others.
§ Mr. GrayFigures for 1981 are not yet available but will be published in the Secretary of State's report to Parliament on the "Development of, oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom" 1982. The total value of orders placed in the United Kingdom during 1980 for goods and services for developments on the United Kingdom continental shelf was £2,380 million, of which the United Kingdom share was £1,679 million—71 per cent. Details are not available by country of the value of orders placed abroad.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of equipment orders in the United Kingdom offshore oil and gas industry has been placed with British companies in 1981; and if he will give comparable figures for 1980 and 1979.
§ Mr. GrayFigures for 1981 are not yet available but will be published in the Secretary of State's report to Parliament on the "Development of oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom" 1982. The value of orders placed in the United Kingdom for goods and services for developments on the United Kingdom continental shelf in 1979 and 1980 were:
Value of orders placed £ million Total United Kingdom United Kingdom Share* per cent. 1979 2,679 2,111 79 1980 2,380 1,679 71 * The United Kingdom share represents the value of the contracts and main subcontracts placed with companies which, through employment, manufacturing or subcontracting, make a substantial contribution to the United Kingdom economy.