Hooked on Hydrocarbons

The report argues that the UK's strategy to expand North Sea oil and gas production is incompatible with the Paris Agreement and the UK's own net-zero targets. It highlights that the 'Climate Compatibility Checkpoint' used by the government is insufficient and fails to account for the 'production gap' or emissions from burning fuels. The document details several major fields, such as Rosebank and Clair South, whose projected lifetime emissions would significantly exceed the UK's carbon budgets. It further debunks claims that domestic production lowers consumer bills or meaningfully reduces import dependency, noting that the majority of gas imports come from Norway.

• The UK's decision to conduct a new licensing round for North Sea oil and gas in October 2022 is viewed as incompatible with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, as new development and exploration must end immediately according to the IEA, UN, and IPCC.
• The total potential emissions from exploiting all developed, under-development, and undeveloped/undiscovered reserves in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) could reach 7,602 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCo2), which exceeds the UK's legally binding carbon budgets for 2023–2037 of 4,640 MtCo2e.
• The 'Climate Compatibility Checkpoint' designed to ensure new licenses align with net zero is criticized as insufficient because it does not include a test on the 'production gap' and does not cover emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
• Claims that increasing North Sea production will lower energy bills for UK consumers are described as a 'myth' because production is controlled by private international companies that sell into global markets where prices are highest.
• Domestic production does not significantly reduce import dependency in a way that justifies new licensing; 77% of UK gas imports in 2021 came from Norway, and emissions intensities in the UK are higher than in Norway.
• Specific large-scale projects are identified as highly emissive: the Rosebank field is the largest, with potential lifetime emissions of 170 MtCo2e, followed by Clair South at 153 MtCo2e and Cambo Phase 1 at 95 MtCo2e.
• The report identifies 21 fields that industry hopes to develop in the UK North Sea, with the 20 largest expected to reach financial investment decisions or development consent in the next three years potentially producing over 920 MtCo2e.

APA

Zimmerman, S., & Fralikhina, H. (2022). Hooked on Hydrocarbons. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_UKNorthSea_Report_v3_11.pdf

Chicago

Zimmerman, Scott, and Hanna Fralikhina. Hooked on Hydrocarbons. Global Energy Monitor, 2022. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_UKNorthSea_Report_v3_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zimmerman |first1=Scott |last2=Fralikhina |first2=Hanna |title=Hooked on Hydrocarbons |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=October 2022 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_UKNorthSea_Report_v3_11.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zimmerman2022hooked, author = {Zimmerman, Scott and Fralikhina, Hanna}, title = {{Hooked on Hydrocarbons}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_UKNorthSea_Report_v3_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }