Brexit riles North Sea's revival
The crunch point is fast approaching for a UK oil industry that has performed better than many had foreseen in the face of continued Brexit uncertainties
Two years ago, UK-based oil companies were warning about the impact of uncertainty created by the Brexit process on efforts to prolong the life of maturing North Sea assets. They probably couldn't have imagined there would still be pretty much the same level of uncertainty by late 2018. The UK is due to formally leave the bloc at the end of March next year. But for much of the past two years it has been struggling to make much headway in negotiations with its European partners over the shape of their post-Brexit relationship. Back in mid-2016, oil firms also may not have imagined that their North Sea activities would be going quite as well as they have been. The sector had been teetering on
Also in this section
19 March 2026
The regional crisis highlights the undervalued role of fixed pipelines in the age of tanker flexibility
18 March 2026
Rising LNG exports and AI-driven power demand have raised concerns that US gas prices could climb sharply, but analysts say abundant shale supply and continued productivity gains should keep Henry Hub within a range that preserves the competitiveness of US LNG
18 March 2026
Risks of shortages in oil products may cause world leaders to panic and make mistakes instead of letting the market do what it does best
17 March 2026
The crisis in the Middle East has put LNG’s ability to offer security and flexibility under uncomfortable scrutiny
