UK minister 'eager' for Cambo oil field talks

An offshore oil exploration rig, in the Scottish sector of the North Sea, burns off oil and natural gas

The UK government is to meet the developers of the proposed Cambo oil field.

Scotland Office minister David Duguid said he was "eager" to hold talks with Siccar Point Energy in Aberdeen on Tuesday to discuss the project.

The Cambo oil field is situated approximately 125km (75 miles) to the west of Shetland and is thought to contain 800 million barrels of oil.

Plans to develop the site have drawn criticism from climate campaigners.

Environmental groups have accused ministers of "hypocrisy" as the UK prepares to host the 26th United Nations climate COP26 conference in Glasgow, after it emerged the Cambo development could get the green light.

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But Mr Duguid, the Conservative MP for Banff and Buchan, said he wanted to learn more about the project, adding: "As we transition to cleaner, low-carbon and renewable energy, demand for oil and gas is declining and will continue to do so, even with new fields such as Cambo.

"But until that transition is made, as the UK government is pioneering with the North Sea Transition Deal, sources like Cambo are still required."

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report last week painting a stark picture of the impact of humanity on the climate due to the burning of fossil fuels and other pollutants.

However, Mr Duguid said the committee advised that there was still a continued need for oil and gas for the production of everyday essentials, including medicines.

He added: "It is far preferable for the UK's needs to come from our domestic supply, supporting our own workers, rather than relying on imports whose sources may not be responsibly recovered.

"Not producing our own oil and gas through the energy transition not only risks the economy and jobs but also security of energy supply."

An exploration licence for the Cambo field was granted in 2001 and the Oil and Gas Authority is currently considering whether to approve extraction of the estimated 800 million barrels of oil there.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week to "reassess" the licence for the site in her first public intervention on the issue.

She said the decision to grant a licence for exploration should be looked at again in light of the severity of the climate emergency.

In her letter to Boris Johnson, Ms Sturgeon called for the UK government to "agree to reassess licences already issued but where field development has not yet commenced."

"That would include the proposed Cambo development", she said.