Production emissions from offshore oil and gas operations in the UK North Sea fell by 7% last year, according to the latest Emissions Monitoring Report from the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).

It was the sixth consecutive annual drop recorded across the sector, which has experienced an overall emissions reduction estimated at 37% since 2018.

Over half of the reductions in 2025 are said to relate to proactive measures on installations still in operation, as opposed to facilities that have ceased production.

And the report authors found the production emissions intensity was some way below the global average, due largely to good outcomes with methane emissions.

The UK’s North Sea Transition Deal interim targets of cutting emissions 10% by 2025 and 25% by 2027 have both been exceeded, and the goal of halving emissions by 2030appears to be on track.

However, the NSTA has concluded that it is not feasible to pursue electrification of certain platforms in the UK central North Sea, due in part to issues such as grid connections. This has impacted potential projections for emissions abatement, it adds.

But without continued effort and focus, the 2040 target of a 90% reduction in emissions will not be achieved, the Authority concludes.

Each UK operator must produce an agreed Emissions Reduction Action Plan. This approach is said to have helped reduce the UK’s offshore flaring volumes by 60% between 2018 and 2025.

Over the same period, methane emissions, most of which emanated from venting and flaring, also fell by around 60%.

New platforms, the NSTA noted, typically have lower emissions intensities than older facilities due to their more fuel-efficient equipment and technologies which have been designed to limit flaring and venting.

It cites Serica Energy’s installation earlier this year of a flare gas recovery module at the Bruce field platform. Neo Next+ is implementing a similar project at the Elgin-Franklin field, and a partial electrification scheme at the Culzean gas platform.