Sunak: Using every last drop of North Sea oil is ‘absolutely right thing to do’
The Prime Minister made the comments to STV news after the Rosebank oil field was given the go-ahead.
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Your support makes all the difference.Using every last drop of oil in Scotland’s North Sea is “absolutely the right thing to do”, Rishi Sunak has said.
In an interview with STV News, the Prime Minister stood by the decision to give the go-ahead for drilling at the Rosebank oil field around 80 miles north-west of Shetland.
The oil field is one of the largest untapped oil fields in UK waters and was approved by the UK Government’s regulator the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) on Wednesday.
It is thought to contain up to 300 million barrels of oil, but critics – including Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf – said the development will damage net zero ambitions.
When we import gas from somewhere else around the world, it comes here with three or four times the emission that you would get from getting it here at home so yes I do think it’s the right thing to do
Speaking to STV News on Thursday, however, Mr Sunak said his government was “absolutely not” wishing away net zero ambitions.
He said the Government was “committed” to the targets despite postponing a ban on new petrol and diesel cars by five years, to 2035.
The decision, he said, was taken to ease the cost burdens on ordinary households.
And asked if he thought the UK should take “every last drop” of oil from the North Sea, Mr Sunak said: “I think the UK should focus on the North Sea because we’re going to take every last drop. I mean, we need oil and gas for decades to come.
“So yes, I would much rather have that from home because it’s better for our energy security. It’s better for our economy and it’s better for our jobs now.”
But pressed again whether that approach means “taking every last drop”, he said: “I think that is absolutely the right thing to do, because that’s better for our country.
“It’s better for jobs, it’s better for our energy security, and by the way, better for carbon emissions.
“When we import gas from somewhere else around the world, it comes here with three or four times the emission that you would get from getting it here at home so yes I do think it’s the right thing to do.
“It’s the right long-term thing to do for our country, and that’s what I’m always going to do.”
Mr Sunak previously insisted his government wanted to “max out” developments in the North Sea as he supported future oil and gas licensing rounds.
Following Rosebank’s approval on Wednesday, Mr Yousaf told Bauer Media: “I think Rosebank is the wrong decision. The decision that has been made today it is not the right decision to be made.
“Scotland’s future, the North East’s future, is as the net zero capital not just of Europe but of, I hope, the world.
“And of course, new oil and gas licences being given the go-ahead will slow the pace of that transition down.
“I want to accelerate that transition and take the workers with us.”