A tale of two regulatory landscapes: the UK and Norway
The stark contrasts between the UK and Norway demonstrate how policy stability can shape the long-term trajectory of a mature basin
The UK and Norway share the geology of the North Sea, but their oil and gas regulatory climates could scarcely be more different: where Norway provides consistency and long-term certainty, the UK has veered through cycles of policy instability from government to government. Mixed signals UK authorities have sent very mixed signals about the future of North Sea oil and gas over recent years. Just a decade ago, the government was strongly promoting investment, for example through tax allowances that spurred the development of several 100m bl projects. Then in 2019, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) regulator temporarily paused licensing to assess whether its policies were in line with
Also in this section
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
6 March 2026
The March 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
6 March 2026
After Europe’s rapid buildout of floating LNG import capacity, Exmar CEO Carl-Antoine Saverys says future growth in floating gas infrastructure will increasingly be driven by developing markets as lower prices, rising energy demand and the need to replace coal unlock new opportunities for unconventional and tailor-made solutions
