Asked by: Baroness McGregor-Smith (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many years of oil reserves remain available for extraction in (1) the UK, and (2) the UK Continental Shelf, at current rates of consumption.
Answered by Lord Whitehead
The North Sea Transition Authority’s latest production projections, published in February 2026, indicate that the UK Continental Shelf could produce around 2.2 billion barrels of oil (bnbbl) between 2026 and 2050.
This is equivalent to around five years of UK oil consumption, based on final consumption of petroleum products in 2024. 80-90% of UK crude is exported to be refined abroad, as UK refineries are not set up to process its particular chemical characteristics.
The NSTA’s October 2025 reserves and resources report estimates around 2.0 bnbbl remaining in technically and commercially viable oil reserves.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they continue to plan to ban onshore fracking in the UK.
Answered by Lord Whitehead
The Energy Independence Bill was included in the Kings’ Speech on 13 May.
The Bill will contain measures which will deliver our manifesto commitment not to issue new licences to explore new fields, including new licences that could be used for fracking for shale gas in England.
There is an effective moratorium on fracking for shale gas (“associated hydraulic fracturing” as defined by the Petroleum Act 1998) in England, which will continue to apply to existing licences. Similar restrictions are in place across other parts of the UK.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) onshore oil developments in the UK on areas of significant housing growth such as the Ardingly Reservoir catchment and (b) those developments on drinking water.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Local planning authorities and the Environment Agency are responsible for assessing the impact of onshore oil and gas developments on housing and drinking water respectively.
The North Sea Transition Authority regulates exploration and development licensing for England’s onshore oil and gas resources on behalf of the Secretary of State. Licence holders require further consents and permits before any operations take place.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what analysis his department has undertaken about the potential effects of fracking on house prices and home insurance costs across the North of England and the United Kingdom.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There has been no hydraulic fracturing for shale gas extraction (“fracking”) since the effective moratorium was put in place in England in 2019. Similar restrictions are in place across other parts of the UK. Prior to the moratorium, only three wells have been hydraulically fractured for shale gas. The Department has not undertaken any analysis of the impact of fracking operations on house prices and home insurance costs. The Government has stated its intention to ban fracking for good.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to review the technical definition of hydraulic fracturing in respect of (a) volume thresholds and (b) geological conditions to prevent onshore oil and gas extraction operations from circumventing the current moratorium on fracking.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Proppant squeezes are not currently defined in legislation as high volume hydraulic fracturing for shale gas extraction. We are committed to banning fracking for good and any future decision on national planning policy for fracking will take into account all volumes of hydraulic fracturing.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential carbon emissions that would be released by Europa's proposed proppant squeeze project at Burniston Mill in North Yorkshire.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not have a role in assessing the potential environmental impacts or carbon emissions of a proposed onshore oil and gas project. The relevant Mineral Planning Authority considers such impacts as part of providing planning permission and can request an Environmental Impact Assessment to be completed. Relevant planning permissions and permits, including from the Environment Agency, are required before any operations can take place.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential environmental impact of Europa's proposed proppant squeeze project at the Burniston Mill site in North Yorkshire.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not have a role in assessing the potential environmental impacts or carbon emissions of a proposed onshore oil and gas project. The relevant Mineral Planning Authority considers such impacts as part of providing planning permission and can request an Environmental Impact Assessment to be completed. Relevant planning permissions and permits, including from the Environment Agency, are required before any operations can take place.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning the proppant squeeze process of gas extraction.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Proppant squeezes are not currently defined in legislation as high volume hydraulic fracturing for shale gas extraction. We are committed to banning fracking for good and any future decision on national planning policy for fracking will take into account all volumes of hydraulic fracturing.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the proppant squeeze process of gas extraction.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Proppant squeezes are not currently defined in legislation as high volume hydraulic fracturing for shale gas extraction. We are committed to banning fracking for good and any future decision on national planning policy for fracking will take into account all volumes of hydraulic fracturing.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (HC37979), whether the decision to plug and abandon Preston New Road shale gas well was a matter for (1) the company, (2) the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, or (3) the North Sea Transition Authority.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
As stated in the previous answer, decisions on whether to abandon wells are ultimately a matter for the company.