- More than 65 scientists warn against expanding North Sea drilling
- New fields unlikely to cut bills or improve energy security
- Debate deepens as political pressure builds for domestic production
More than 65 leading scientists have stepped into the North Sea oil and gas debate, urging the UK government to hold its ground on limiting new drilling and instead double down on renewable energy. Their warning comes at a time when rising global energy prices — driven partly by tensions in the Middle East — have reignited calls for boosting domestic fossil fuel production.
In an open letter, the group challenged both the economic and environmental case for expanding drilling. They argued that the UK already has access to cheaper and more reliable alternatives. “As climate scientists, we urge leaders to look to the cheaper solutions we have already, that we know work,” they wrote, as quoted in a news report.
Among the signatories are Bill McGuire of University College London and Richard Allan. Their argument centres on a simple point: most of the North Sea’s resources have already been extracted, and what remains is unlikely to shift the bigger picture.
Less impact than it appears
The scientists note that around 90 per cent of North Sea reserves have already been used up. Any additional output, they argue, would be too small to influence global oil and gas prices, which are set in international markets.
That raises questions about one of the key arguments made by supporters of new drilling — that it could bring down household energy bills. According to the scientists, the effect would be minimal at best.
Ella Gilbert, who helped co-ordinate the letter, said renewable energy sources like wind and solar are already the cheapest forms of electricity. She also pointed to falling battery storage costs, which are making it easier to manage periods when renewable output drops, reportedly said in a news report.
Bill McGuire added that more drilling would not meaningfully improve the UK’s energy security. Instead, it would increase carbon emissions at a time when global temperatures are already rising sharply, reportedly said in a news report.
Politics, pressure and a divided path
The intervention lands in the middle of an increasingly political debate. Parties such as the Conservatives and Reform UK have called for lifting the ban on new exploration licences, arguing that more domestic production could support jobs, strengthen energy security and reduce reliance on imports.
At present, the government has taken a middle-ground approach — allowing existing projects to continue while ruling out new exploration licences. Still, pressure is building to revisit that position.
Critics of the ban point out that the UK still depends on oil and gas for roughly 75 per cent of its energy needs and is likely to do so for years. They also argue that producing energy domestically may have a slightly lower emissions footprint compared with imports.
However, findings from the Climate Change Committee suggest that any emissions advantage is relatively small and could be outweighed by the overall increase in fossil fuel use.
The economic argument is also not entirely settled. While renewables are often described as cheaper, recent offshore wind contracts have been priced at around £90.91 per megawatt hour, close to current market rates of about £96. In addition, renewable systems still require backup through gas or storage, along with further investment in grid infrastructure.
Still, supporters of a faster transition argue that countries moving away from fossil fuels more quickly are seeing benefits. Gilbert pointed to examples such as Spain, which has reported lower power prices and greater resilience to energy shocks.
Business leaders, too, remain divided. Some back continued extraction as a practical necessity, while others warn that expanding drilling risks becoming a short-term fix for a deeper, long-term challenge.
For now, the UK finds itself balancing immediate energy concerns with longer-term climate commitments — a tension that is unlikely to ease anytime soon.
