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The Solong container ship drifts off the coast of East Yorkshire following the collision

Captain arrested in North Sea crash is Russian national

The ship's captain arrested in connection with a crash into a US flagged tanker off the coast of England is a Russian national, the German company which owns the vessel said.

World • 12 Mar

Smoke billowing from the MV Solong cargo ship in the North Sea today

Man arrested over tanker collision in North Sea

A 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of "gross negligence manslaughter" in connection with the collision between a tanker and a container ship in the North Sea yesterday, according to British police.

World • 11 Mar

Oil production in the North Sea has declined from a peak of 4.4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day at the start of the millennium to around 1.3 million boed today

Trump calls to 'open up' North Sea, get rid of windmills

US President-elect Donald Trump has made a call to "open up" the North Sea and get rid of windmills in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

Business • 03 Jan

The ship believed to have sank was the Verity (File image)

One dead, four missing after ship sinks in North Sea

One person has died and four others are missing after a collision between two cargo ships in the North Sea, one of which sand, German authorities said.

World • 24 Oct 23

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said new domestic fossil fuels would help to improve the energy security and reduce reliance on states such as Russia

UK commits to hundreds of North Sea oil, gas licences

Britain has committed to granting hundreds of licences for North Sea oil and gas extraction as part of efforts to become more energy independent, drawing criticism from environmental campaigners.

Business • 31 Jul 23

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (second left) pictured at the North Sea Summit in Ostend

'Giant leap' in offshore wind energy needed - Taoiseach

The Taoiseach has said a giant leap forward in offshore wind energy is needed, and that Ireland's Atlantic wind potential could lead to the State becoming a major energy exporter.

World • 24 Apr 23

Today's deal with Suncor Energy gives the Norwegian company stakes in several key North Sea petroleum assets

Norway's Equinor buys Suncor Energy UK in $850m deal

Equinor is to buy the British oil and gas business of Canada's Suncor Energy for $850m, giving the Norwegian company stakes in several key North Sea petroleum assets.

Business • 03 Mar 23

Premier Oil is set to buy stakes in North Sea oilfields from BP

Premier Oil plans rights issue for buying spree

Premier Oil is set to buy stakes in North Sea oilfields Andrew and Shearwater from BP for $625m and increase its stake in the Tolmount gas project in a deal with Dana worth $191 million, it said today.

Business • 07 Jan 20

Greenpeace said a team of activists in boats drew up beside the 27,000-tonne rig as it was trying to leave Cromarty Firth

Greenpeace activists halt BP North Sea oil rig

Greenpeace activists have said they halted the progress of an oil rig destined for BP's North Sea exploration programme off the coast of Scotland.

World • 10 Jun 19

Ineos bought the Forties pipeline system from BP in late October

North Sea Forties oil pipeline pumps at half capacity

Flows through the UK's most important oil pipeline, Forties, have recovered to around half the normal rate, a trading source said today.

Business • 27 Dec 17

The shutdown of a North Sea pipeline has knocked out significant supply from an already tightening market

Oil hits two and a half year high on pipeline shutdown

Oil prices jumped to their highest in more than two years today after the shutdown of a North Sea pipeline knocked out significant supply from an already tightening market.

Business • 12 Dec 17

Development of the first of two independent phases is now estimated to cost $11.82 billion.

Statoil's North Sea oilfield coming in below budget

The multi-billion dollar development of Norway's Johan Sverdrup oilfield, the largest North Sea discovery in decades, is proceeding ahead of plan and below budget, operator Statoil said today.

Business • 04 Sep 17

The North Sea has seen an increase in deals this year

UK to review tax to speed up North Sea oil deals

Britain will look at ways of making it easier to sell North Sea oil and gas fields by changing tax rules in order to keep them producing for longer, the finance ministry said.

Business • 08 Mar 17

Shell said its latest deal would streamline its portfolio after the 2016 takeover of BG Group

Shell sells part of North Sea assets for $3.8bn

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to sell a package of oil and gas fields to private equity-backed Chrysaor for $3.8 billion.

Business • 31 Jan 17

Major oil firms have announced 11 deals worth over $500m each with a combined value of $31 billion since November

Big Oil back on the acquisition trail

The world's top oil companies are back in acquisition mode, targeting smaller exploration and development firms to boost oil and gas reserves rather than the mega-mergers that followed previous slumps in crude prices.

Business • 19 Jan 17

Shell said it would sell $30 billion in assets between 2016 and 2018 to help finance the BG Group deal

Shell may sell some North Sea assets

Royal Dutch Shell could sell some of its older, lower grade North Sea assets to improve the quality of its portfolio, CEO Ben van Beurden said today.

Business • 12 Apr 16

The Oil and Gas Authority was established as an executive body in the UK five months ago

North Sea loses 5,500 jobs in oil market downturn

Britain's North Sea oil and gas sector has shed more than 5,000 jobs since late last year, the new Oil and Gas Authority said today.

Business • 07 Sep 15

Sverdrup is estimated to contain up to 3 billion barrels of recoverable oil equivalents

Statoil goes ahead with $29 billion project

Norway's Statoil today unveiled plans to develop the giant Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea, Europe's costliest offshore energy project.

Business • 13 Feb 15

North Sea oil output fell towards the end of last year due to extended maintenance

UK industrial output slips on oil output

UK industrial output slowed further at the end of last year, hurt by maintenance work on North Sea oil and gas fields.

Business • 10 Feb 15

BP cutting jobs as oil prices continue to slump

Energy giant BP says to cut 300 North Sea jobs

Energy giant BP said it was shedding 200 staff jobs and 100 contractors in its North Sea operations today following a sharp drop in oil prices.

Business • 15 Jan 15

Tullow Oil agrees North Sea assets deal with AU Energy

Tullow agrees North Sea gas assets sale

Exploration company Tullow Oil has reached an agreement to sell its Dutch subsidiary with various North Sea gas assets for just under €63m.

Business • 05 Sep 14

North Sea oil and gas companies made the lowest profits in nearly five years in Q1 of this year

UK North Sea firms' profitability at five year low

North Sea oil and gas companies made the lowest profits in nearly five years during the first three months of this year, new figures showed today.

Business • 09 Jul 14

Tullow sells majority stakes in two UK North Sea gas assets - Schooner and Ketch

Tullow Oil sells stakes in two North Sea fields

Tullow Oil has sold majority stakes in two UK North Sea gas assets to Faroe Petroleum for $75.6m and said it was looking for buyers of other North Sea assets.

Business • 30 Apr 14

George Sorros says independent currency for Scotland would be 'very inefficient and potentially dangerous'

'Independent Scotland would face currency dilemma'

George Soros said today it would not be practical for an independent Scotland to keep sterling but that a separate currency would be "potentially dangerous".

Business • 12 Mar 14

The fire was put out in about 15 minutes and the King Seaways returned to port in Newcastle

Two arrested over North Sea ferry fire

Two men have been arrested after a fire broke out in a cabin on a ferry in the North Sea off the Yorkshire coast.

News • 29 Dec 13