§ Mr. HardyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the reserves of gas which he has estimated will meet Britain's requirements have yet to be proved; and what proportion he estimates will come from smaller fields than those which currently provide supplies to the home market.
§ Mr. Eggar[holding answer 4 November 1992]: My Department's latest estimates of United Kingdom gas reserves were published in the Brown Book—"Development of the Oil and Gas Resources of the United Kingdom"—in April 1992. About 37 per cent. of the total are reserves which have yet to be proved by drilling. Reserves in future fields will fall within a wide range, but it is not expected that any will compare in size with the largest fields currently supplying the United Kingdom market.