THE UK Government has been slated for keeping a “doomed oilfield on life support” after a two-year licence extension was issued to develop the controversial Cambo site.
Initially led by Siccar Point Energy the previous licence for the North Sea project had been set to expire on March 31.
However, the extension does not mean that the Cambo field has been given the go-ahead for drilling, and campaigners say it merely delays the inevitable rejection of the field and the transition away from fossil fuels.
READ MORE: Cambo oil field: Shell reconsidering decision to axe Shetland project
Shell, which co-owns the field with Siccar Point Energy, withdrew from the development in December and it stressed there is “no change to our position”.
But the company said the extension gives time to “evaluate all potential future options”.
The spokeswoman said: “The North Sea Transition Authority has awarded Siccar Point Energy and Shell UK an extension to the underlying licences containing the Cambo field which were due to expire.
“At this time there is no change to our position of December 2021, but the extension to the licences will allow time to evaluate all potential future options for the project.”
It comes as the UK Committee on Climate Change recently told the UK Government that giving consent for new fields and increasing UK oil and gas production will do nothing to bring down soaring energy bills.
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s climate and energy campaigner Caroline Rance said: “The UK Government is trying to keep this doomed oil field on life support but they are simply dragging out the inevitable rejection of Cambo and the transition away from fossil fuels. There is no safe future for new oil and gas production in the North Sea, Cambo and all new field developments must be rejected.
“Shell and Siccar Point Energy have had years to develop the case for opening the Cambo field, and have failed. Two more years won’t make the project look any better in terms of its devastating climate impacts or the urgency of the transition away from fossil fuels.
“New fields approved today wouldn’t start producing for years, and would do absolutely nothing for people’s soaring energy bills. Any oil that these companies might extract in years to come will be theirs to sell to the highest international bidder, not reserved for the UK. The suggestion that increasing UK oil and gas production will protect consumers is simply false.”
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