UK onshore oil and gas production in charts – May 2024

By Ruth Hayhurst on August 12, 2024

Almost two-thirds of the gas flared onshore in the UK in May 2024 was from one site, at Singleton in West Sussex. Three fields were responsible for more than half the gas vented onshore.

Overall, UK onshore oil volumes rose more than 10% in May 2024, compared with the month before. Onshore gas volumes fell 5%.

Key figures

Daily oil production: 12,187 barrels of oil per day (April 2024: 11,401 bopd)

Oil volume: 60,064m3 (April 2024: 54,375m3)

Oil weight: 49,652 tonnes (April 2024: 44,960 tonnes)

Daily gas production: 8.47 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) (April 2024: 9.27 mmscf/d)

Gas volume: 7,438 thousand standard cubic meters (ksm3) (April 2024: 7,874ksm3)

Gas weight: 6,086 tonnes (April 2024: 6,462 tonnes)

Onshore gas’s contribution to UK total production: 0.93% (April 2024: 0.90%)

Onshore oil’s contribution to UK total production: 2.01% (April 2024: 1.86%)

Volume of flared gas at UK onshore oilfields: 972ksm3 (April 2024: 919ksm3)

Volume of vented gas at UK onshore oilfields: 135ksm3 (April 2024: 123ksm3 )

Number of onshore fields which recorded some oil production in May 2024: 31 (April 2024: 31)

Number of onshore sites which recorded some gas production in May 2024: 10 (April 2024: 12)

Number of onshore producing fields which recorded no oil production in May 2024: 12 (April 2024: 12)

Number of onshore producing fields which recorded no gas production in May 2024: 16 (April 2024: 13)

This article uses data compiled and published by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) on 1 July 2024 from reports by oil companies. This is published about three months in arrears. All the charts are based on the NSTA data.

Some data retrospectively changed in previous releases from NSTA. We have reported where this has happened.

Details

Daily production

Volume and weight

Contribution to total UK oil and gas production

Flaring and venting

64% of UK onshore flared gas in May 2024 was from one oil field, at Singleton, in West Sussex.

In May 2024, three oil sites, Horndean, Kimmeridge and Beckingham, accounted for more than half the volume of UK vented gas onshore.

Top producing fields

Oil top 20

Ranking risers: Singleton, Horndean, Glentworth, Gainsborough, Bletchingley, Corringham, Storrington, Whisby

Ranking fallers: Welton, Wareham, Scampton North, Long Clawson, Cold Hanworth, Beckingham

Horse Hill, in Surrey, dropped out of the top 20 UK onshore oil sites in May 2024 (to rank 22) after oil production fell 27%. Humbly Grove, in Hampshire, dropped to 31, after a 95% fall in production.

Production also fell at Wressle (down 9%) but rose at Horndean (up 28%) and Wytch Farm (up 15%).

The water cut for Horse Hill’s HH-1 production well

[Figures for Whisby were updated after we reported last month and the most recent data ranks it at rank 20 for April 2024 and 19 for May 2024.]

Producing gas fields

Ranking risers: Bilsthorpe, Wheldale, Maltby, Bevercotes, Markham Main, Hatfield Moor

Ranking fallers: Stillingfleet, Prince of Wales, Newmarket

Production at the UK’s largest onshore gas field at Saltfleetby fell 4% in May 2024 compared with the previous month. But the field slightly increased its contribution to UK onshore gas production (from 79.5% to 81.1%).

Production also fell at Stillingfleet (49%), Bilsthorpe ( 20%) and Prince of Wales (56%) but rose at Bevercotes (3,233%), Maltby (37%) and Markham Main (1,800%).

Non-producers

Oil

The May 2024 data shows there was no production at 12 UK onshore oil fields. This was the same number and the same fields as April 2024.

The non-producing fields were:

Angus Energy: Brockham, Lidsey
Britnrg Limited: Newton-on-Trent
Heyco (formerly Egdon Resources): Dukes Wood, Fiskerton Airfield, Kirklington, Waddock Cross
Star Enery (formerly IGas): Avington, Egmanton, Nettleham, Scampton, South Leverton

Gas

There was no production reported at 16 UK onshore producing gas fields in May 2024. This is three more than in April 2024. The additional non-producing fields in May 2024 were Cadeby, Gedling and Warsop coalmine vents. The full list is:

Cuadrilla: Elswick
Heyco: Kirkleatham
EP UK Investments: Humbly Grove Gas Storage
Ineos: Airth, Doe Green
Infinis Energy: coal mine vents at Askern, Cadeby, Florence, Gedling, Kings Mill Hospital, Mansfield, Sherwood, Warsop and Whitwell
Scottish Power UK plc: Hatfield Moor Gas Storage Injection
Star Energy: Albury

Operators

Oil

In May 2024, the leading onshore oil producer, Perenco, increased its total production (up from 34,326 tonnes to 39,298 tonnes) and its share (up from 76% to 79%).

Production increased slightly at Star Energy but its contribution to UK onshore oil dropped by one percentage point.

Heyco (formerly Egdon), EP UK Investments and UK Oil & Gas saw their total production fall but there were small rises for Britnrg Limited, Europa Oil & Gas and Onshore Oilfield Services Limited.

Gas

UK onshore gas production was limited to fields operated by three companies in May 2024.

Angus Energy saw gas production fall in May 2024 (from 5,140 tonnes to 4,937 tonnes) but its share of UK onshore gas rose by one percentage point.

Total production and share of UK onshore gas rose at Infinis Energy but Velox Power saw a fall because of lower production at Stillingfleet.

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