North Sea Oil

HC Deb 13 November 1981 vol 12 cc208-9W

Mr. Rowlands

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will list the conditions and criteria for granting offshore and onshore licences in the seventh round.

Mr. Gray

The granting of offshore and onshore petroleum licences is governed by the Petroleum (Production) Regulations 1976, as amended. The criteria against which application for offshore production licences were judged in the seventh round are set out in theGazette notice published on 4 July 1980. Applications for onshore licences are not restricted to licensing rounds but can be applied for at any time. The factors taken into account in examining such applications are set out in the Gazette notice published on 5 August 1980. Copies of both notices were placed in the House Libraries at the time of publication.

Mr. Rowlands

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of proven North Sea oil reserves is at present held by the British independent exploration companies.

Mr. Gray

The percentage of proven North Sea oil reserves at present held by British independent exploration companies is approximately 4 per cent. based on the latest figures for proven reserves published in the "Brown Book 1981 (Development of the Oil and Gas Resources of the United Kingdom 1981)".