Dozens of bids to drill new oil and gas fields

More than 100 applications have been submitted to drill for new oil and gas in the North Sea.

The UK government opened a fresh round of licensing after a three-year hiatus while it hosted the UN climate change conference in Glasgow.

But UK ministers said more licences would be made available because of the energy security crisis.

A total of 115 bids have been received and the successful applicants will be announced later this year.

Licensing new oil and gas developments is reserved to Westminster.

But the Scottish government last week announced a presumption against new oil and gas exploration as part of its new energy strategy.

Scottish ministers say they can no longer support the previous position of “maximising economic recovery” of fossil fuel reserves.

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), which regulates the sector, said a total of 115 bids have been received from 76 companies, covering 258 “blocks” of the sea.

The NSTA said the bids will now be studied and those that go ahead could begin production in as little as 18 months.

Several different consents are needed after licences are granted but before production can begin – including ensuring it is in line with climate commitments.

Dr Nick Richardson, the NSTA’s head of exploration, said: “We have seen a strong response from industry to the [licensing] round, which has exceeded application levels compared to previous rounds.

“We will now be working hard to analyse the applications with a view to awarding the first licences from the second quarter of 2023.”

The decision to increase oil and gas exploration is at odds with international climate scientists who say fossil fuel projects should be closed down, not expanded, if there is to be a chance of keeping global temperature rises under 1.5C.

Both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the global body for climate science, and the International Energy Agency have expressed such a view.

But UK Climate Minister Graham Stuart said: “Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has led to volatile global energy markets.

“It’s fantastic to see such interest from industry in this round, with the awarded licences set to play an important role in boosting domestic energy production and securing the UK’s long-term energy security of supply.”