The Prospective Areas

Abstract

It should become increasingly apparent over the remaining chapters that the future shape and size of the onshore oil industry in Britain is likely to be determined as much by political, financial and environmental constraints as geological potential. As most oilmen would readily concede, growing uncertainties about the former have served to multiply the risks taken by the industry when gambling on the latter. Before passing on to examine these constraints it is, however, necessary, to pause and describe how the industry now assesses the prospects for finding oil and gas in Britain more than half a century after the first systematic search for hydrocarbons began. Over that period the quantity, and more important the quality, of data has improved markedly, and there have been big advances in the skills, technology and materials available to the oilman. But this has served only to reduce, not eliminate, the speculative nature of exploration. So where over the next few years are the seismic crews and drilling teams going to be looking for oil and gas? What are the geological bases for supposing they may be found? And what are the chances of success?