BP developments extend North Sea bounce
The supermajor bucks the trend by investing in two smaller fields.
The big guns have tended to divest smaller maturing assets in the UK's North Sea to focus on larger schemes with more money-spinning potential. So, BP's decision to push ahead with two relatively modest oilfield developments is a pleasant outcome for the region. The company said on 10 April that it had committed to developing the Alligin and Vorlich fields, which between them could produce 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day (boe/d) at peak. Alligin has estimated recoverable oil reserves of 20m barrels and is located 140km west of Shetland in the Greater Schiehallion Area. BP and Shell each hold 50% of the development. Meanwhile, Vorlich holds over 30m boe of estimated recoverable reserve
Also in this section
20 February 2026
The country is pushing to increase production and expand key projects despite challenges including OPEC+ discipline and the limitations of its export infrastructure
20 February 2026
Europe has transformed into a global LNG demand powerhouse over the last few years, with the fuel continuing to play a key role in safeguarding the continent’s energy security, Carsten Poppinga, chief commercial officer at Uniper, tells Petroleum Economist
20 February 2026
Sempra Infrastructure’s vice president for marketing and commercial development, Carlos de la Vega, outlines progress across the company’s US Gulf Coast and Mexico Pacific Coast LNG portfolio, including construction at Port Arthur LNG, continued strong performance at Cameron LNG and development of ECA LNG
19 February 2026
US LNG exporter Cheniere Energy has grown its business rapidly since exporting its first cargo a decade ago. But Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin tells Petroleum Economist that, as in the past, the company’s future expansion plans are anchored by high levels of contracted offtake, supporting predictable returns on investment






