Six oil and gas fields in the North Sea are expected to be approved by the British government in 2022, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson's strong push to reduce fossil fuel emissions. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has urged Business Secretary Kwassi Kwaten to speed up construction permits in six energy sectors, a move that comes in stark contrast to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's efforts to ensure Britain becomes a net-zero carbon emitter Compared.

UK energy situation

Mr Sunak's request comes amid fears by the Treasury that shifting too quickly to greener forms of energy will hit the economy at a time when the country is already grappling with higher energy bills, which are expected to be higher in April. The six areas will be approved by the Oil and Gas Authority - drilling is expected to start at the Rosebank field in the west of the Shetland Islands and at Jackdaw, Marigold, Brodick, Catcher and Tolmount East in the north sea. The combined reserves of the six sites are enough to power the UK for six months, with 62 million tonnes of oil-equivalent fuel underground.

While the UK's focus is now turning to renewable energy, there have also been calls for a complete halt to domestic fossil fuel extraction in the UK. But ministers have pledged to continue supporting oil and gas production through the transition to net zero to ensure the industry doesn't fall off the brink of a job-destroying cliff. At the same time, however, the government will continue to put pressure on businesses to reduce the carbon footprint of their operations. In the long term, however, the UK must produce affordable low-carbon electricity to ensure it meets its net zero target and ensure energy independence, thereby protecting consumers from fluctuating gas prices. Global gas and electricity prices have soared since mid-2021 due to supply disruptions and post-pandemic demand surges, causing millions of Britons to see their energy bills soar. British energy firms Shell and BP are now in the firing line after reporting big profit increases, as UK energy regulator Ofgem announced a £693 ($939) increase in energy price caps - the amount that suppliers are allowed to charge in a year Top Fees - This will hit consumers' wallets starting in April.

BP Chief Executive Bernard Rooney has rejected calls for a windfall profits tax on British oil and gas producers after the company posted its highest profit in eight years. "We need to encourage gas investment in the UK, not prevent it," Mr Rooney said. Environmentalists reacted negatively earlier this month when the Abigail Field, a new oil and gas field about 233km from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, was approved by the government. The project will cost about $200 million, according to RystadEnergy. Tessa Khan, head of Uplift, a campaign group working for a fossil-free UK, said the new site "will only exacerbate the climate crisis" and urged the UK government to stop sanctioning oil and gas developments.

The OGA approved plans for the new field on January 19 – just over two months after Glasgow hosted the world Cop26 event, thousands of delegates came to the city to talk about their approach to the global climate crisis. Abigail, owned by Ithaca Energy, contains an estimated 5.5 million barrels of oil equivalent, with oil and gas to be split equally. "Why is the government approving an oil and gas development with little benefit to UK energy customers or taxpayers, which will only exacerbate the climate crisis, when the only winners are the oil companies behind the project?" Ms Khan said. "The government's serious response to unaffordable energy bills and the climate crisis will see all of this investment go to cheaper UK renewables." Keywords: engineering construction, engineering news

A UK government spokesman said that while the country is working to reduce demand for fossil fuels, demand for oil and gas will continue in the coming years as we transition to low-carbon, safer forms of energy. "We cannot shut down our domestic sources of gas overnight," the spokesman said. "This would put energy security, UK jobs and industry at risk and become more reliant on foreign imports."EditorXingWentao