Understanding the Dispute Between Trump and the U.K. Over North Sea Oil Drilling

(SeaPRwire) –   Former President Donald Trump is calling on the U.K. to increase its North Sea drilling operations amid global energy disruptions caused by the conflict in Iran.

His remarks arrive as the nation’s Labour party encounters growing demands from rival political groups and industry associations to overturn a scheduled 2025 prohibition on North Sea oil and gas extraction to address energy demands.

This crisis has propelled the country’s energy costs sharply higher—the price of Brent crude, the international oil standard, and European benchmark gas prices have each surged over 30% since the attacks on Feb. 28. With the situation ongoing, a U.K. energy consultancy forecasts that average yearly home energy bills may increase by £332 ($449) by July, adding strain to households already burdened by price hikes after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Why is Trump criticizing U.K. energy policy?

In an April 14 post on Truth Social, former President Trump stated that the U.K. should utilize the North Sea’s oil and gas reserves to help secure European energy supplies following shortages.

“Europe is desperate for Energy, and yet the United Kingdom refuses to open North Sea Oil, one of the greatest fields in the World. Tragic!!!” Trump wrote on Tuesday.

”U.K., which is better situated on the North Sea for purposes of energy than Norway, should, DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! It is absolutely crazy that they don’t… AND, NO MORE WINDMILLS!”

A recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) projection indicates the energy disruption from the Iran war will likely affect the U.K. more severely than other wealthy nations. The European Union has also cautioned its members that the area may experience extended energy supply problems if the fighting persists.

What is the U.K.’s stance on drilling North Sea oil and gas?

As part of its pledge to achieve net-zero emissions goals, the U.K. halted new licenses for North Sea oil and gas fields last year. Fossil fuels currently supply 75% of the nation’s energy requirements. Since the outbreak of the war in Iran, the government has faced increasing pressure to rescind this ban.

Both the Conservative Party and the right-leaning Reform U.K. party have advocated for greater domestic production, contending it would enhance energy independence, preserve employment, and reduce costs.

However, even if the U.K. were to boost production immediately, the effects would not be apparent for years. Research from the energy consultancy Voar and the campaign group Uplift shows that between 2010 and 2024, the government authorized hundreds of new North Sea licenses across seven rounds, which have so far yielded only enough extra gas to last 36 days.

“If you drill today, you’re not going to see the oil in a very long time, because it takes several years to explore, find the oil, start a new oil field, and produce,” says Daniela Schmidt, a professor of earth science at the University of Bristol.

Who owns most of the North Sea oil?

The U.K. is the second-largest producer in the North Sea after Norway. However, unlike Norway, which has a predominantly state-controlled energy firm, the U.K. awards new oil and gas projects to private corporations through licensing.

“[The oil] isn’t owned in most cases—and that includes the U.S. and the U.K.—by the people. So it will not reduce oil prices, because it is to the benefit of the big producers, Exxon, Shell, BP, they will have more oil, and they will make more money,” says Schmidt. She adds that U.K. gas prices are determined on global markets, which is another factor why increased drilling might not lead to lower consumer prices.

How much oil is still left in the North Sea?

The North Sea is viewed as a “mature basin,” indicating that a significant portion of its resources have already been taken out.

Research from the U.K. non-profit climate research organization, the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit, estimates that 93% of the total oil and gas expected to be extractable by 2050 has already been depleted.

Norway has consumed just 57% of the “expected recoverable resource” from its section of the North Sea, whereas the U.K. has exhausted most of its share.

“The production has peaked,” says Schmidt.

What is the climate impact of North Sea oil?

Offshore drilling can cause significant damage to marine environments and coastal populations, creating pollution and endangering animals. Major oil spills and gas leaks can also drastically alter ecosystems.

Furthermore, combusting fossil fuels is the primary contributor to climate change—which Schmidt identifies as the key reason countries should reduce drilling, not expand it. “If we continue to drill, this warming will accelerate, and therefore the impacts, the losses and damages, the death we see in the summers already, the impacts on ecosystems, will be even more accelerated.”