Onshore oil production in the UK fell again in 2023, to the lowest level for more than 30 years.

Onshore gas production rose for the second consecutive year, up more than 60% in 2023 on the previous year.

Official figures from the industry regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority, showed that total UK onshore oil volume in 2023 was 714,586m3, down 12% on 2022 (813,404m3).

The data also reveals that the 2023 total annual onshore oil volume was:

• Lowest for 35 years (1989: 705,348m3)
• 11th lowest production since this set of records began in 1979
• Ninth consecutive annual fall in onshore oil production
• Seventh consecutive year where onshore oil volume was below 1 million m3
• 1.89% of total UK oil production

Onshore gas volume reached 102,329ksm (thousand cubic meters), up 63% on the 62,810ksm in 2022. The data also reveals that that the 2023 total onshore gas volume was:

• The highest production since 2019 (137, 538ksm)
• In the top three years since 2006
• 0.96% of UK total gas production, up from 0.52% in 2022

All the charts in this article are based on data from the NSTA and analysed by DrillOrDrop.

Wytch Farm and Saltfleetby

Two fields, Wytch Farm and Saltfleetby, dominated UK onshore oil and gas production in 2023.

The fall in national onshore oil was largely because of declining production at the UK’s biggest field at Wytch Farm in Dorset. Production at the field was down 18% in 2023, at 544,146m3, compared with 664,613m3 in2022. This was partly because of a shut-down in spring 2023 following a pipeline leak into Poole Harbour.

Wytch Farm production represented 76% of UK onshore oil output in 2023. This was down slightly on 2022 (82%), largely because of production from the Wressle field, which began in July 2022.

2023 saw the 12th consecutive annual fall in production at Wytch Farm and the lowest total at the field since 1987 (352,322m3).

Annual dry gas production at Saltfleetby in Lincolnshire rose 240% in 2023 to 64,898ksm3. This was up from 19,079ksm3 in 2022, when the field resumed production.

2023 saw the seventh highest annual gas volume produced at Saltfleetby. It was, however, a long way short of the peak recorded in 2000 (452,812ksm3). In 2023, Saltfleetby represented 64% of UK onshore gas production.

Other fields

After Wytch Farm, the next nine highest-ranking UK onshore oil fields produced 126,992m3, almost 18% of the onshore total.

This was higher than in 2022 (113,041m3 or 14% of the onshore total). This is largely because of a full year’s production at Wressle and increased production at Singleton, Stockbridge, Horndean and Glentworth.

Ranked by volume, the top nine fields (excluding Wytch Farm) were: Wressle, Welton, Singleton, Stockbridge, Humbly Grove, Horndean, Scampton North, Glentworth and Whisby.

In 2023, the five highest producing onshore gas fields, after Saltfleetby, were (in descending order): Bilsthorpe Colliery Mine Vent, Maltby Coal Mine Vent, Albury, Stillingfleet Coal Mine Vent. Together, they produced 24,760ksm3 (24% of the UK onshore total) in 2023.

Company volumes

As in previous years, the Wytch Farm operator, Perenco, was the largest individual UK onshore oil producer, with 77% of UK onshore production, totalling 550,371m3.

Compared with 2022, Perenco saw a fall in both its total volume (down by 18%) and share of production (down from 83%).

The other onshore companies in order of oil production in 2023 were: Star Energy Group, Heyco Energy Group, EP UK Investments, UK Oil & Gas plc, Britnrg Limited, Europa Oil and Gas and Onshore Oilfield Services Limited.

In 2023, Angus Energy overtook Infinis Energy as the largest UK onshore gas producer. Angus extracting 147% more gas in the year than Infinis.

All Angus Energy’s gas production comes from the Saltfleetby field. Infinis Energy extracted gas from vents at more than a dozen former collieries.

The other UK onshore gas producers in 2023 (in descending order) were: Star Energy Group plc, Velox Power, Scottish Power UK Ltd and Ineos Industries.

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