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Investment in UK North Sea Oil Projects to Drop by Almost 90% in 2016

© AFP 2023 / Andy BuchananSection of the BP ETAP (Eastern Trough Area Project) oil platform in the North Sea, around 100 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland. (File)
Section of the BP ETAP (Eastern Trough Area Project) oil platform in the North Sea, around 100 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland. (File) - Sputnik International
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Investment in the upstream industry will most likely drop by almost 90%, according to the UK national trade association.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — British national trade association for the offshore oil and gas industry Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) said Tuesday it expected investment in the North Sea upstream industry to drop by nearly 90 percent in 2016 amid declining oil prices and growing losses.

"Most concerning is the collapse of investment in new projects. This year the upstream industry is expected to approve less than £1 billion to spend on new projects, compared to a typical £8 billion per year in the last five years – sparking fears for the long term future of the industry," OGUK said in a report.

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According to OGUK, if the oil prices remain at around $30 per barrel for the rest of 2016, 43 percent of oil fields at the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) are likely to be operating at a loss, deterring further exploration and capital investment.

The trade group notes that the government should urgently reform the system of the special taxes paid by the industry to attract investment.

Global oil prices plunged from $115 to less than $30 per barrel between June 2014 and January 2016, hitting their lowest levels since 2003, mostly because of prolonged global oversupply and weak demand.

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