The North Sea, located in northwest Europe, is bordered by a range of countries, including Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom. Through the Strait of Dover and English Channel, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean, and it opens directly onto the ocean between Orkney and Shetland islands, and between the Shetland Islands and Norway.
The Evolution of North Sea Drilling: A Historical Perspective
The journey of North Sea drilling can be traced back to the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf, which was the first international legislation to establish rights of countries over the continental shelves adjacent to their coastlines. This laid the foundation for exploration in the North Sea. Subsequently, the U.K.’s jurisdiction over oil and gas resources beneath the seabed near its shores was solidified by the U.K. Parliament’s Continental Shelf Act of 1964.
British Petroleum (BP) secured the first exploration license in the U.K. North Sea in 1964, leading to the discovery of natural gas the following year. Despite early setbacks like the collapse of the BP-operated Sea Gem drilling rig in 1965, commercial oil was discovered in the Forties Field, east of Aberdeen, Scotland in 1970. Since then, the North Sea has seen growing exploration efforts by various companies.
UK’s Energy Needs and the Role of Offshore Drilling
With the aim of achieving Net-Zero Emissions by 2050, the UK maintains that about a quarter of its energy needs would continue to depend on oil and gas. The Prime Minister of the UK insists that it is preferable to fulfill these needs with domestic supplies instead of relying on potentially unreliable foreign sources. However, the country’s commitment to its climate targets has come under scrutiny due to these plans. According to a report by the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the U.K. is not adequately prepared for climate change under its second National Adaptation Programme.
Environmental Concerns Associated with Offshore Drilling
Offshore drilling operations carry significant environmental risks, including potential oil spills that can be catastrophic for marine ecosystems and wildlife. Spilled oil can suffocate birds, marine mammals, and fish, impair their insulation, and hinder their ability to find food.
The physical presence of drilling platforms, pipelines, and other infrastructure can disrupt marine habitats. The noise and vibrations resulting from drilling operations can interfere with the communication, navigation, and breeding patterns of marine life.
Offshore drilling can have a detrimental impact on biodiversity as the construction of drilling structures can damage underwater habitats, such as coral reefs and seagrass beds. These habitats serve as crucial breeding and feeding grounds for marine species.
Moreover, offshore drilling activities contribute to climate change by increasing greenhouse gas emissions. They also lead to ocean warming, sea-level rise, and could potentially disrupt ocean currents.
Intensive offshore drilling can deplete oil and gas reserves, thereby increasing pressure to explore new areas, often in environmentally sensitive regions. Additionally, the release of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels leads to ocean acidification. This acidification poses a threat to marine life, especially organisms with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons, such as coral reefs and shellfish.