§ Lord Sefton of Garstonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have received any figures for the use of oil and gas by the undertakings concerned, or estimates of how long available reserves are expected to last based on current usage.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Strathclyde)Detailed estimates of current levels of reserves, production and consumption of UK oil and gas for 1993 were published in Volume 2 of theEnergy Report on 25 April 1994. Estimates of the longevity of known reserves at current rates of production take no account of future discoveries and other additions to reserves, nor of future levels of demand and production. However, at the 1993 rates of production, the UK's proven, probable and possible remaining discovered reserves of oil and gas (as estimated at the end of 1993) would last for some 21 and 29 years respectively.