Court dismisses UK offshore leasing challenge

Offshore staff

LONDON – Britain’s High Court has ruled that the Oil and Gas Authority’s assessments on new fields are not unlawful and are important for both the UK’s energy security and net zero ambitions.

The judicial review, initiated last May, followed a challenge brought by three individuals to the revised OGA strategy, which took effect last February, citing climate concerns. One of the three was a member of the Scottish National Party; the others were a retired project management consultant and a student at Edinburgh University.

Oil and Gas UK’s chief executive Deirdre Michie said: “We hope this decision strengthens investment confidence in the UK basin at a time when we aim to prioritize domestic energy production while delivering a lower carbon energy future.

“The UK’s offshore oil and gas industry is changing. Our companies are adapting their 50 years of energy expertise to accelerate crucial green technologies like hydrogen, carbon capture, and wind. This week a great number of traditional oil and gas companies got the go ahead to roll out more wind energy generation as a result of the ScotWind leasing announcement.

“We will continue to improve and scale up those greener solutions. However, we cannot switch over night, so it is vital we can continue produce the oil and gas that is needed to avoid the lights going as we make the transition to that diverse mix of lower carbon energies that will help get us to net zero.”

01/19/2022