French multinational integrated oil and gas giant, Total announced a major gas discovery on the Glendronach prospect, located offshore UK West of Shetland.
The well was drilled to a final depth of 4,312 meters and encountered a gas column of 42 meters of net pay in a high quality lower Cretaceous reservoir.
Preliminary tests confirm good reservoir quality, permeability and well production deliverability, with recoverable resources estimated at about one trillion cubic feet (1 tcf), the company said in a statement.
Located on Block 206/04a, in-water depth of about 300 meters and in a formation below the Edradour reservoir, the discovery can be developed quickly with the existing infrastructure around the Edradour field and the Laggan-Tormore facilities of the Shetland Gas Plant.
“Glendronach is a significant discovery for Total which gives us access to additional gas resources in one of our core areas and validates our exploration strategy. Located on an emerging play of the prolific West of Shetland area, the discovery can be commercialized quickly and at low cost by leveraging the existing Laggan-Tormore infrastructure,” stated Arnaud Breuillac, President exploration and production at Total.
The Glendronach discovery is operated by Total E&P UK with a 60 per cent interest alongside partners Ineos E&P UK Limited (20 per cent) and SSE E&P UK Limited (20 per cent).
Total has been present in the United Kingdom for more than 50 years and is one of the country’s leading oil and gas operators, with equity production of 171 000 boe/d in the first half of 2018.
Total’s production in the United Kingdom comes principally from operated fields located offshore in three major zones, the Alwyn/Dunbar area in the Northern North Sea, the Elgin/Franklin area in the Central North Sea and the Laggan-Tormore hub in the West of Shetland area, and from recently acquired Maersk Oil assets.
DC London Pie Limited, Pizza Hut UK’s restaurant operator, entered administration just 10 months after rescuing the chain.
Yum! Brands secured 64 dine-in locations saving 1,276 jobs, while 68 restaurants and 11 delivery sites will close permanently.
Rising labour costs and tax pressures blamed as UK hospitality sector faces mounting challenges from wage increases and reduced consumer spending.
Pizza Hut collapse
Pizza Hut UK faces major upheaval as its restaurant operator entered administration on Monday (20), resulting in the immediate closure of 68 dine-in locations and 11 delivery outlets. The move puts 1,210 jobs at risk, marking another significant blow to Britain’s struggling casual dining sector.
DC London Pie Limited, the company operating Pizza Hut’s UK dine-in restaurants, appointed FTI Consulting as administrators after facing severe financial pressures. The development comes less than a year after the firm had rescued the chain from a previous insolvency.
In a partial rescue deal, Pizza Hut’s global parent company Yum! Brands stepped in to acquire 64 dine-in restaurants through a pre-packaged administration arrangement. “This targeted acquisition aims to safeguard our guest experience and protect jobs where possible,” said Nicolas Burquier, managing director of Pizza Hut International Operating Markets to Reuters.
Approximately 1,276 employees will transfer to the new Yum! Brands operation, though the company confirmed that delivery and takeaway services remain unaffected by the administration process.
Hospitality sector struggles
Businesses are being squeezed by a combination of increased National Minimum Wage requirements which rose 9.8 per cent in April 2024 to £11.44 per hour and higher employer National Insurance contributions announced in the government’s autumn budget.
Isabelle Shepherd, a partner at HaysMac, explained that “hospitality businesses are suffering from the twin pressures of reduced sales and significantly increased labour costs, squeezing cashflows and working capital.”
DC London Pie had faced mounting difficulties, including a winding-up petition from HMRC over unpaid taxes filed just last month.
Pizza Hut UK is not alone in its struggles. Papa Johns closed nearly 75 UK restaurants in 2024, while TGI Friday’s UK operator Hostmore entered administration last year, affecting 36 stores and 1,000 jobs.
The Centre of Retail Research projects approximately 17,000 shop closures across Britain throughout 2025, signalling continued difficulties for the retail and hospitality sectors.
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