§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What percentage of the Continental Shelf under British sovereignty has been surveyed, and to what standards.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Baroness Denton of Wakefield)Seismic surveys in connection with the38WA search for oil and gas have been carried out over all parts of the designated areas of the Continental Shelf adjacent to the United Kingdom having water depths of up to 600 feet. Most of this work has used two dimensional seismic technology; however, the use of three dimensional techniques, particularly in the areas where oil and gas have been discovered, has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Seismic survey coverage in the deeper water areas, principally to the West and North-West of Scotland, is limited at present, but will be increased significantly in those areas licensed for exploration in the first frontier round of offshore licensing in 1991 as companies fulfil seismic survey work obligations attached to their licences.