Badenoch to pledge to extract oil, gas from North Sea: Telegraph

Badenoch to pledge to extract oil, gas from North Sea: Telegraph

The Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, is expected to announce plans to maximize the extraction of oil and gas from the North Sea in a speech scheduled for Aberdeen in the coming days. According to the Sunday Telegraph, Badenoch will propose significant changes to the North Sea Transition Authority, which currently oversees the issuing of licenses, aiming to prioritize maximum extraction over transitioning away from fossil fuels.

Badenoch is set to argue that Britain cannot afford to leave vital resources untapped while neighboring countries like Norway extract them. She will contend that Britain has already decarbonized more than any other major economy since 1990 but still faces high energy prices. Badenoch plans to scrap all mandates for the North Sea beyond maximizing extraction, emphasizing that common sense, economic growth, and national interest should come first.

This announcement comes amid ongoing debates about the UK's energy policies. Last month, Energy and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband criticized the Conservatives for being "anti-science" by abandoning the political consensus on net zero. Miliband cited a Met Office-led study that highlighted the UK's increasing temperatures and extreme weather events, emphasizing the need for urgent climate action.

The Conservative Party's stance on maximizing North Sea oil and gas extraction may have implications for the industry. Recently, Norwegian energy giant Equinor made a significant discovery near the Fram field in the North Sea, potentially boosting the company's production capacity and long-term prospects. This discovery underscores the ongoing importance of the North Sea as a major oil and gas reserve [2].

References:
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/aug/30/tories-would-maximise-north-sea-oil-and-gas-extraction-badenoch-expected-to-say
[2] https://www.ainvest.com/news/equinor-oil-gas-discovery-fram-field-north-sea-2508/