§ Mr. Banksasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish the approximate production cost in United States dollars per barrel of oil extracted by each of the oil-producing countries of the world.
§ Dr. MabonAs far as the United Kingdom continental shelf is concerned, my report to Parliament in 1978—the Brown Book—gave the cost of production of oil from existing commercial fields as $3–9 a barrel in 1976 prices, although it is estimated that some 95 per cent. of the oil can be produced at $7 per barrel or less. Work is in hand to provide updated information on costs of production in the 1979 Brown Book. Comparable figures for other countries are not available.