HC Deb 26 June 1989 vol 155 c350W
15. Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the level of exploration drilling for 1989, and what were the comparable figures in the two previous years.

Mr. Peter Morrison

Fifty-two exploration wells, of which eight are onshore, had been started by mid-June this year. This figure is already greater than that for the first halves of 1988 and 1987 when 40 and 36 wells were drilled respectively.