Oil industry in Scotland
The oil industry in Scotland was largely created upon the discovery of
History
In December 1969, Amoco discovered the Montrose Field about 217 km (135 mi) east of Aberdeen.[6] The original objective of the well had been to drill for gas to test the idea that the southern North Sea gas province extended to the north. Amoco were astonished when the well discovered oil.[7] BP had been awarded several licences in the area in the second licensing round late in 1965, but had been reluctant to work on them.[6]
North Sea oil
Scotland is said to be the largest producer of oil and the second largest producer of gas in Europe. Oil and gas activity in Scotland mostly takes place offshore on offshore oil and gas platforms, mainly of which are located 12 miles off the coast of Aberdeen.[8]
Economic benefits
The extraction of oil and gas in Scottish waters was estimated to have contributed £25.2 billion in
Scottish Government
Whilst the
Powers for the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament to legislate on onshore oil and gas extraction was devolved on 9 February 2018. Sections 47–49 of the Scotland Act 2016 transferred powers to "legislate for the granting and regulation of onshore licences, determine the terms and conditions of licences and regulate the licensing process, including administration of existing onshore licences". All onshore oil and gas licences currently held in Scotland are set out in legislation.[9]
Future
Decline
Although North Sea oil production has been declining since 1999, an estimated 920 million tonnes of recoverable crude oil remained in 2009. Over two and a half billion tonnes were recovered from UK offshore oil fields between the first North Sea crude coming ashore in 1975 and 2002,[10] with most oil fields being expected to remain economically viable until at least 2020. High oil prices have resulted in a resurgence of oil exploration, specifically in the North East Atlantic basin to the west of Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, in areas that were previously considered marginal and unprofitable.[11] The North Sea oil and gas industry contributed £35 billion to the UK economy (a little under 1% of GDP) in 2014 and is expected to decline in the coming years.[12]
The Scottish Government recognise that the North Sea "basin is mature and oil and gas production will inevitably decline". The government is committed to the transfer of workers in North Sea oil and gas fields to transition to other sectors of the industry relating to net zero energy and other adjacent energy sectors.[9]
In the run up to the
Transition to net-zero energy
The Scottish Government has pledged for Scotland to become a net zero energy and emissions country. Through a number of targets, the Scottish Government aim to achieve this by "commissioning and publishing independent analysis to look at the Scotland's future energy system, commissioning research and working with partners to develop carbon capture, utilisation and storage in Scotland and supporting a number of demonstration projects to develop hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cells". Additionally, the Scottish Government is committed in "supporting the transition in the North East of Scotland from oil and gas to renewables with our Energy Transition Fund , whilst supporting businesses, communities and individuals to transition to net zero and create jobs in low carbon industries through the Just Transition Fund and strategically engaging with stakeholders across the energy sector through multiple avenues, including the Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB)". Furthermore, they aim to collaborate with the "North Sea Transition Deal (NSTD) through both the North Sea Transition Forum and the North Sea Transition Deal Delivery Group".[9]
The Scottish Government has previously concluded work surrounding the policymaking process on "unconventional oil and gas development in Scotland" and have also worked to enhance the "oil and gas decommissioning capacity and capabilities through the Decommissioning Challenge Fund", which completed a total of three "successful application calls" from 2017 to 2019.[9]
Oil and Gas stations (onshore)
Name | Operator | Location ( UK grid reference )
|
Council area | Fuel | Capacity ( MW )
|
Commissioned | Closed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arnish | Scottish and Southern Energy |
NB422304 | Western Isles |
Diesel | 10.3 | 2000 | - |
Barra[15] | Scottish and Southern Energy |
NF718033 | Western Isles |
Diesel | 2.5 | 1986 | - |
Bowmore[16] | Scottish and Southern Energy |
NR320602 | Argyll and Bute | Diesel | 6.0 | 1946 | - |
Brodick[7] | Diesel | 3.087 | |||||
Campbeltown[7] | Diesel | 3.740 | |||||
Daliburgh[7] | Diesel | 1.56 | |||||
Grangemouth | Grangemouth CHP | NS944810 | Falkirk | Gas | 130 | 2001 | - |
Inverkip | South of Scotland Electricity Board | NS196711 | Inverclyde | Oil | 1900 | 1970 | 1988 |
Kirkwall | Scottish and Southern Energy |
HY44651097 | Orkney | Oil | 16 | 1951 | |
Lerwick A and B |
Scottish and Southern Energy |
HU465427 | Shetland | Oil | 67 | 1953 & 1996 | - |
Lochalsh[7] | Diesel | 0.91 | |||||
Loch Carnan[17] | Scottish and Southern Energy | NF832427 | Western Isles |
Diesel | 11.8 | 1971 | - |
Peterhead |
Scottish and Southern Energy | NK127430 | Aberdeenshire | Gas | 1550 | 1980 | - |
Stornoway | Scottish and Southern Energy |
NB431321 | Western Isles |
Diesel | 23.5 | 1950 | - |
Sullom Voe Terminal[18][19] | ENGIE |
HU401751 | Shetland | Gas | 22 (100) | 1980 | - |
Tiree[20] | Scottish and Southern Energy |
NL997446 | Argyll and Bute | Diesel | 2.5 | 1953 | - |
Tobermory[7] | Diesel | 1.375 |
See also
References
- ^ "OIL AND GAS IN SCOTLAND: A BRIEF HISTORY". www.simpsondeanrecruitment.co.uk. Simpson Dean. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ISBN 978-0-632-03845-9.
- ^ "OIL AND GAS IN SCOTLAND: A BRIEF HISTORY". www.simpsondeanrecruitment.co.uk. Simpson Dean. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ Shepherd, Mike (2015). Oil Strike North Sea: A first-hand history of North Sea oil. Luath Press.
- The Scottish Government. p. 28. Archived from the originalon 2 February 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-521-78515-0.
- ^ a b c d e f Shepherd, Mike (2015). Oil Strike North Sea. Luath Press.
- ^ "Oil and gas". www.naturre.scot. Nature Scotland. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Oil and gas". www.gov.scot. Scottish Government. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ "Oil and gas research and information". Scottish Enterprise. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009.
- ^ Hopes of Western Isles bonanza as Shell starts searching for oil The Times December 2005
- ^ "Oil and gas industry 'worth £35bn annually' to UK economy". BBC News. 23 April 2014.
- ^ "Four times we were told Scotland's oil was running out". www.thenational.scot. The National. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ "UK go-ahead for North Sea oil and gas field angers environmental groups". www.theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ "Barra Power Station from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info.
- ^ "Islay, Bowmore, Power Station | Canmore". canmore.org.uk.
- ^ "Carnan Power Station". Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ "Shetland energy challenge | Northern Isles New Energy Solutions".
- ^ "Homepage | EQUANS UK & Ireland".
- ^ "Tiree Power Station from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info.