authorities approve controversial exploitation of new gas field in the North Sea

A decision denounced by environmentalists. The British authorities, who have relaunched the development of hydrocarbons in the North Sea since the start of the war in Ukraine, gave the green light on Wednesday January 17 to the exploitation of a new gas field, operated by Shell.

The British Oil and Gas Authority “agreed” at the Victory gas field, located in the northwest of the Shetland Islands. “The project can therefore continue”develops an official document published on the United Kingdom government website.

“The field will help maintain domestic gas production for homes and businesses and UK electricity generation”Shell argued. “Continued investment is necessary to support domestic production, which is declining faster than demand for oil and gas”, defended a Shell manager for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons. The UK produced 38% of its gas supply in 2022, according to the North Sea Transition Authority.

A criticized project

The Victory field is expected to come online in the middle of the decade, and at peak will produce enough gas to heat nearly 900,000 homes a year, according to Shell.

The war in Ukraine has put energy security back at the heart of London’s priorities, which has announced a plethora of new oil and gas exploration permits. “This investment decision is further proof that Shell simply is not serious about preventing catastrophic climate change”reacted a Greenpeace climate advisor in the United Kingdom, in a statement to AFP. “The UK government continues to destroy what remains of its reputation as a climate leader.”