Battling the Brexit blues
The UK's planned withdrawal from the EU in 2019 is causing uncertainties for the North Sea industry at a time when it could do without them
Just as the UK oil and gas industry starts feeling the rejuvenating effects of an oil-price recovery, the threat of a "hard" Brexit is adding a significant dimension of risk for an industry fighting to extend its life. Aberdeen, the main base for the North Sea industry, has always been international in its outlook. UK exports in oil and gas-related goods and services worldwide was worth around £73bn in 2016, representing about 5% of all UK trade. The sub-sea sector alone, which is entrenched in a corridor to the west of Aberdeen, exports £7.5bn worth of goods and services a year. And wherever in the world there's an oil and gas hub, there's a good chance the native accent of north-east Scot
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
