10 Sep 2024

New North Sea oil and gas projects have been placed on hold while the UK Government responds to a landmark court case on the environment.  On the 29th August, the UK government announced new environmental guidance for oil and gas firms, aiming to “provide stability for industry, support investment, protect jobs, deliver economic growth, and […]

27 Aug 2024

The UK’s decision to issue new oil and gas exploration licences is being challenged in court by Oceana UK, which argues ministers unlawfully failed to consider the impact on marine life. Oceana UK has moved forward with its legal challenge over fossil fuel exploration licences issued in May 2024 as part of the North Sea […]

25 Jun 2024

The marine conservation campaign group, Oceana, is preparing to take the UK government to court, claiming the decision to issue North Sea oil and gas licences without taking into account their impact on the environment was unlawful. The decision to issue the new licences was unlawful on several grounds, says the charity, including a failure to consider the […]

02 Jan 2024

Scientists from Kiel University have examined crater-like depressions on the seafloor of the North Sea. They were able to show that these directly relate to the habitats of porpoises and sand eels, and for the first time provide a conclusive explanation for the importance of vertebrates in shaping the seafloor. The North Sea seafloor is […]

19 Dec 2023

Uplift and Greenpeace UK have launched legal challenges to the UK Government over its decision to green-light the Rosebank oil and gas project – the largest untapped field of its kind in the North Sea. Two separate judicial review challenges already filed against the UK’s decision. Both are expected to be heard in the Court […]

03 Oct 2023

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) announced the list of companies which have accepted licences following the UK’s first-ever carbon storage licensing round. A total of 14 companies have been awarded 21 licences in depleted oil and gas reservoirs and saline aquifers which cover around 12,000sq km – an area equivalent to the size of […]