HC Deb 21 November 1973 vol 864 c458W
Mr. Grimond

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the latest estimates of annual production of oil from the North Sea fields over the likely period of their main production.

Mr. Tom Boardman

The latest forecast of production from the United Kingdom sector of the Continental Shelf is 70 million to 100 million tons in 1980. I cannot accurately assess the timing of the build-up to this level; neither can I make any estimate of production after 1980, since this will depend to a large extent on fields not yet discovered.