European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and UK PM Theresa May have differing visions
UK industry flags Brexit rig shutdown threat
North Sea activity is unlikely to halt when the UK leaves the EU, but the uncertainty isn’t helping the planning process
As negotiations over the United Kingdom's departure from the EU trudged on without resolution during the autumn, trade body Oil & Gas UK (OGUK) sought to focus minds by raising potentially uncomfortable scenarios that could result from a so-called "hard Brexit". In its annual Economic Report, OGUK warned that any shortage of European workers caused by the UK leaving the EU without a deal in place with Brussels could lead to shutdowns for some rigs. EU workers represent about 5% of the UK's oil and gas workforce-about 15,000—and a slightly higher proportion, 7%, of offshore workers. Specifically, OGUK set out the risk that emergency response-and-rescue vessel owners could face difficult
Also in this section
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
14 January 2026
Chavez’s socialist reforms boosted state control but pushed knowledge and capital out of the sector, opening the way for the US shale revolution
