Factcheck: Nine false or misleading myths about North Sea oil and gas
The https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-what-does-the-iran-war-mean-for-the-energy-transition-and-climate-action/ has triggered another fossil-fuel energy crisis, with https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-why-does-gas-set-the-price-of-electricity-and-is-there-an-alternative/ and increasing concerns over energy security.
In the UK, many newspapers, opposition politicians and other public figures have used the crisis to argue in favour of issuing more licences for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
These arguments have also been amplified in https://bsky.app/profile/leohickman.carbonbrief.org/post/3mhgb3t53yc2r on social media, shared by fake accounts that usually post anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim content.
However, many of these arguments rest on false or misleading claims about the impact that further drilling could have on the UKâs bills, energy security, emissions and tax revenue.
The North Sea is a â https://post.parliament.uk/north-sea-oil-and-gas/â where production has been https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/data-and-insights/insights-and-analysis/production-and-expenditure-projections/, because most of the oil and gas it once contained has already been extracted.
While it would be possible to slow the rate of decline in oil and gas output from the North Sea, the quantities that would be economic to extract are disputed.
Overall, the transition to clean-energy supplies is expected to be far more effective at boosting UK energy security and reducing reliance on imports.
Moreover, the climate-change arguments for limiting fossil-fuel production, which have been made by https://www.carbonbrief.org/new-fossil-fuels-incompatible-with-1-5c-goal-comprehensive-analysis-finds/, the
https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1511294073474367488 and even the https://www.carbonbrief.org/daily-brief/enough-with-fossil-fuels-pope-says-in-latest-climate-appeal/#:~:text=PopeFrancishassaidit,theeraoffossilfuelâ., remain as valid as ever.
Below, Carbon Brief factchecks some of the most common claims about North Sea oil and gas.
* FALSE: âReopening the North Sea would lower billsâ
* MISLEADING: âEnergy from the North Sea generates a lot less CO2â
* FALSE: âBritain is a resource-rich nation that has chosen dependencyâ
* FALSE: North Sea is âbest way to protect us from volatility and provide energy securityâ
* MISLEADING: âThe head honchos of the green lobby say we should drillâ
* FALSE: âThe UK is the only country in the world banning new oil and gas licensesâ
* MISLEADING: âWith new North Sea licences would come thousands of jobsâ
* MISLEADING: North Sea drilling âwould secure a rush of revenue into the Treasuryâ
* FALSE: Ed Miliband is an âanti-North Seaâ climate change âfanaticâ
FALSE: âReopening the North Sea would lower billsâ
Many right-leaning newspapers and commentators have falsely argued that opening up new oil and gas fields in the North Sea would lower energy bills in the UK.
There is no evidence to support such claims. Indeed, numerous experts have explained that new drilling would make no difference to bills in the UK.
For example, the https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-express/20260314/281479282925057 carried fact-free assertions from the hard-right, climate-sceptic Reform party on its https://bsky.app/profile/jacksurfleet.bsky.social/post/3mgxyh3mt4k2y under the headline: âGet drilling to stop bills soaring.â Despite the UK not using oil to generate power, it claimed:
âOpen[ing] up the [...]
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