§ 36. Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will give his estimate of the volume and value of gas flared offshore during the last three months;
(2) what was the total value of the gas flared offshore during the last six months on the basis of his Department's valuation and at the level of the average price per cubic foot of gas received by British Gas.
§ Mr. GrayThe information requested is as follows:
It is not possible to place a value on gas which it would be uneconomic to collect, or on gas temporarily being flared in order to allow oil production to continue. The decision I announced on 29 October will reduce associated gas flaring by 20–25 per cent. but reduce UKCS oil production by only 5 per cent. The average price per therm of gas received in 1978–79 by British Gas is 4½p.
Gas flared(a) August 1979 640 September 1979 708 October 1979 (b) 708 May-July 1979 688 (a) Daily average of associated gas flared at UKCS oilfields in millions of standard cubic feet. (b) Estimate based on September figures.