North Sea joins ranks of World's major oil region

Since December 1969, when Ekofisk and Montrose fields were discovered near the center of the North Sea, a spectacular series of oil fields, many of giant size, has been found. Large scale oil production commenced in October 1975, and has now reached one million bpd. Gas production from the North Sea as a whole is about 5 Bcfd. Five major oil pipe lines and two gas lines have been completed from the central and northern North Sea to shore terminals. Development is proceeding rapidly, and additional fields are soon to go on production, while new fields, some with large potential, are still being found in lightly drilled parts of the North Sea basins. Reserves in the central and northern North Sea are about 23 billion bbls. of oil and about 30 Tcf of gas.