Category: Scotland

Scotland, UK — Flaring a well signals huge success for Amerada Hess in this discovery well that produced at the rate of 10,000 barrels of oil per day. It was the biggest find in the Scottish sector of the North Sea in over a decade. On exploration wells there is no way to contain out-flowing gas and oil without risking an explosion, so hydrocarbons are shot out into the atmosphere and ignited. A test burn like this will last several hours to be sure the rate of flow is sustainable before a company will invest millions to lay an underwater pipeline and bring in a production platform. — Image by © George Steinmetz/Corbis ©George Steinmetz/Corbis Scotland’s North Sea revenues would have slumped to one fifth of Holyrood’s preferred forecasts in its first year of independence if Scots had voted Yes in September, according to an Office for Budget Responsibility […]

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The Scottish government aims to draw investors to fledgling wave energy industry, though one major contributor, Pelamis, doesn’t have the funds to move forward. Shutterstock/Ethan Daniels EDINBURGH, Scotland, Nov. 24 (UPI) — Scotland, a world leader in renewable energy development, still has a lot to learn in terms of wave energy programs, the energy minister said. Minister Fergus Ewing unveiled plans to develop a technology center dubbed "Wave Energy Scotland," which he said would encourage innovation and development in the offshore marine energy sector . "With the extraordinary ocean energy resources off Scotland’s coasts, our belief in the future success of wave energy is undiminished," he said in a Saturday statement. The Scottish government has put pressure on its British counterparts after a failed bid for independence, arguing for a more diluted power structure when it comes to energy sector management. The Scottish government says its power systems account […]

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| License Photo LONDON, Sept. 19 (UPI) — After a "no" vote, British energy company BP said Friday it would work closely with the governments in Edinburgh and London to boost North Sea recovery. More than half of the voters taking part in a Thursday referendum for independence from the United Kingdom chose to continue on with 307 years of unity. BP said it would stay on with its commitments in the North Sea . "BP will continue to work closely with both the UK and Scottish governments to realize our shared ambition of maximizing economic recovery from the North Sea," the company said. Scotland said independence would have drawn in substantial oil and gas wealth in the North Sea, with power coming from renewable resources. Edinburgh touted the revenue potential on the day of the referendum. Analysis this week from Wood Mackenzie found that while most of the […]

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EDINBURGH, Scotland, Sept. 17 (UPI) — Energy companies working in the North Sea need a sense of fiscal confidence no matter how the Scottish referendum turns out, Wood Mackenzie said Wednesday. Scotland holds a one-sentence referendum Thursday for independence from the United Kingdom. The government in Edinburgh said it could support itself with oil and gas revenue while powering an independent Scotland with renewable resources . Energy consultant group Wood Mackenzie said fiscal uncertainty is a primary concern for oil and gas companies working in the region. "Regardless of which government is in charge of the industry, companies will seek stability and simplicity around existing fiscal terms as well as tax incentives for harder to produce reserves," it said. "Industry engagement will be paramount to maximizing value for both government and companies." Wood Mackenzie, which has headquarters in the Scottish capital, said much of the oil and gas remaining […]

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1 of 25 Full Screen Autoplay Thousands march in Edinburgh against; a different story in Glasgow ABERDEEN, Scotland — The discovery of oil deep beneath the waters of the North Sea has made this ancient port city an energy boom town, with some of the highest wages and lowest unemployment rates anywhere in Europe. Now, leaders of the campaign to break from Britain in a Thursday referendum are counting on the spoils of “Scotland’s oil” to help spread prosperity across their newly independent nation, funding schools, health care and social welfare programs. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has promised an oil fund, modeled on Norway’s, to ensure that the country’s wealth is broadly shared. But in the final days before the vote, that vision of a progressive and egalitarian society built on a foundation of black goo is coming up against the hard reality of energy economics: After four […]

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Photo Cup cakes showing, yes, no and undecided are displayed in Cuckoo’s Bakery in Edinburgh, Scotland. Cup cakes showing, yes, no and undecided are displayed in Cuckoo’s Bakery in Edinburgh, Scotland.Credit Matt Cardy/Getty Images LONDON — Tremors over a possible breakup of the United Kingdom have been felt here in recent days, as markets gyrate and banks make contingency plans. Yet as Scotland nears its vote on whether to be an independent nation, bankers here worry that a split might unintentionally set in motion a push for what could be a much uglier divorce: an exit of Britain from the European Union. “There’s a sense of, ‘If it could happen in Scotland, it could happen in the U.K.,’ ” said Chris Cummings, chief executive of TheCityUK, a lobbying group for the financial sector. If an independent Scotland would be complicated, a Britain alone in Europe would be a complete […]

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EDINBURGH (Reuters) – Supporters of keeping Scotland in the United Kingdom have clawed back a 4 percentage point lead over separatists, a YouGov poll showed on Friday, with less than a week to go before Scots vote in a referendum on independence. The YouGov survey for The Times and Sun newspapers put Scottish support for the union at 52 percent versus support for independence at 48 percent, excluding those who said they did not know how they would vote. "The ‘no’ campaign has moved back into the lead in Scotland’s referendum campaign," YouGov President Peter Kellner said in a commentary on the survey. "This is the first time ‘no’ has gained ground since early August." The indication that support for keeping the United Kingdom intact has drawn slightly ahead in Scotland is of only meagre comfort to unionists; the broader picture painted by recent surveys is that the vote […]

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ABERDEEN, Scotland, Sept. 10 (UPI) — Only a "yes" vote on the independence referendum will give Scotland the chance to realize the North Sea’s oil and gas potential, the energy minister said. Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said Wednesday he welcomed a paper published from the University of Aberdeen finding 99 oil discoveries will be commercially viable over the next 30 years . "In value terms half the wealth from Scotland’s oil remains and by grabbing the independence opportunity later this month we can put an end to poor U.K. stewardship of this vital resource," Ewing said in a statement. Scotland votes Sept. 18 in a one-sentence referendum for independence from the United Kingdom. The government in Edinburgh says it could support its economy with oil and gas reserves , while relying on renewable resources for power. The University of Aberdeen study finds 58 of the expected new discoveries […]

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Prime Minister David Cameron speaks during a visit to Scottish Widows offices in Edinburgh, where he made an impassioned plea to keep Scotland part of the union, saying he would be "heartbroken" if the UK was torn apart. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday September 10, 2014. See PA story REFERENDUM Main. Photo credit should read: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire The embattled campaign against Scottish independence earned some respite on Wednesday as a poll gave the No side a six-point lead and leading oil bosses joined Mark Carney, the Bank of England governor, in warning of the potential costs of separation. On the day that David Cameron said he would be “heartbroken” if the United Kingdom was broken up, a Survation poll for the Daily Record suggested the No campaign’s lead was holding steady at 53 against 47 for Yes. More On this story On this topic IN UK Politics […]

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Scotland’s independence vote has received a last-minute jolt of energy as polls show a surge by the Nationalist camp, which has effectively countered a mostly downbeat “No” campaign and picked holes in London’s claims to be a responsible custodian of North Sea oil. A week ahead of the September 18 referendum and with oil remaining a major issue, pro-Union politicians and the financial community in London have been alarmed by polls showing the Nationalists level-pegging, after months in which the “Better Together” camp had a comfortable lead. Leaders in industry and government have presented arguments knocking down Nationalist aspirations to a prosperous Norwegian-style state underpinned by a sovereign wealth fund that would save oil wealth for future generations. But the arguments against–such as that Norway is at an earlier stage in its oil production and is thus not comparable, or has a more favorable demographic situation–have proved less persuasive […]

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