Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Crude Oil and Natural Gas Liquids Country Notes

United Kingdom

Proved recoverable reserves (crude oil and NGLs, million tonnes)	516
Production (crude oil and NGLs, million tonnes, 2005)	84.7
R/P ratio (years)	6.1
Year of first commercial production	1919

Proved recoverable reserves are stated by the Department of Trade and Industry in UK Oil and Gas Reserves (September 2006) to be 516 million tonnes at end-2005. This figure compares with the United Kingdom's cumulative oil production of some 3 090 million tonnes.

In addition, there are estimated to be 300 million tonnes of 'probable reserves', with 'a better than 50% chance of being technically and economically producible', and a further 451 million tonnes of 'possible reserves', with 'a significant but less than 50% chance of being technically and economically producible'.

Total output of crude oil and NGLs increased from about 92 million tonnes/yr in 1989-1991 to an all-time high of 137 million tonnes in 1999, since when production has tended to decline. The UK exported 64% of its total oil output in 2005; 64% of such exports were consigned to EU countries and 26% to the USA.