As the Middle East war drives up oil prices, the UK's main opposition Conservative party is urging the government to restart drilling in the North Sea -- echoing repeated calls from US President Donald Trump.
Experts warn, however, that the proposal runs up against geological and economic realities.
k9am\ (9J 42== 7@C }@CE9 $62 5C:==:?8n \k^9am
kAm%96 r@?D6CG2E:G6D[ H9@ 2C6 962G:=J @FE?F>36C65 :? A2C=:2>6?E[ 2C6 AC6A2C:?8 =68:D=2E:@? 2:>65 2E C6>@G:?8 32CC:6CD E@ @:= 2?5 82D 5C:==:?8 :? E96 }@CE9 $62[ :? @C56C E@ 724:=:E2E6 2446DD E@ 5@>6DE:4 7@DD:= 7F6= C6D@FC46D]k^Am
kAm%96J 649@ %CF>AVD C6A62E65 4C:E:4:D> @7 qC:E2:?VD {23@FC 8@G6C?>6?E 7@C 72:=:?8 E@ DF77:4:6?E=J 6IA=@:E @77D9@C6 C6D6CG6D[ 6G6? 2D E96 &z 7246D D@>6 @7 E96 9:896DE 6?6C8J AC:46D :? tFC@A6]k^Am
kAmQv@ 86E J@FC @H? @:=PQ %CF>A 282:? FC865 @? %F6D52J :? 2 A@DE @? %CFE9 $@4:2=[ H:E9@FE 6IA=:4:E=J ?2>:?8 2?J 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAmQsC:==:?8 :? E96 }@CE9 $62 2?5 6IA2?5:?8 @E96C D@FC46D @7 86?6C2E:@?Q :D E96 Q@?=J H2J H6 42? AC@E64E 72>:=:6D 7C@> C:D:?8 3:==D[ <66A E96 4@DE @7 6?6C8J 5@H? 7@C 3FD:?6DD[ 2?5 4@?EC@= :?7=2E:@?[Q r@?D6CG2E:G6 =6256C z6>: q256?@49 HC@E6 :? 2 3=@8 A@DE]k^Am
kAm%96 {23@FC 8@G6C?>6?E[ >62?H9:=6[ 92D A=65865 E@ 92=E ?6H 6IA=@C2E:@? =:46?46D :? E96 }@CE9 $62 7@C 6?G:C@?>6?E2= C62D@?D[ 2=E9@F89 :E D=:89E=J D@7E6?65 :ED A@=:4J :? }@G6>36C]k^Am
k9am\ (92E H@F=5 36 E96 :>A24En \k^9am
kAm(9:=6 DFAA@CE6CD 2C8F6 E92E C6DE2CE:?8 5C:==:?8 H@F=5 DEC6?8E96? D64FC:EJ 2?5 6?6C8J :?56A6?56?46[ 6IA6CED :?E6CG:6H65 3J pu! 6>A92D:D65 >2;@C 4@?DEC2:?ED 7@C 3@E9 @:= 2?5 82D]k^Am
kAm%96 2C62 E92E QE96 &z 92D 2446DD E@ :D 2 G6CJ >2EFC6[ 56A=6E65 32D:?[Q %6DD2 z92?[ 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E2= =2HJ6C[ E@=5 pu!]Â k^Am
kAmQ%96 AC@5F4E:G:EJ @7 E92E \\ :? E6C>D @7 9@H >F49 J@F 4@F=5 6IEC24E 7C@> :E \\ A62<65 :? E96 =2E6 `hh_D 2?5 :EVD 366? :? 564=:?6 6G6C D:?46[Q D96 25565]k^Am
kAm$ECF4EFC2= =:>:ED 2=D@ 2AA=J[ 2D AC@5F4E:@? 42??@E :>>65:2E6=J 36 C65:C64E65 E@ 5@>6DE:4 4@?DF>AE:@?]Â k^Am
kAmQ%96 &z :D A2CE @7 @:= 2?5 82D :?E6C?2E:@?2= >2C<6ED[ 2?5 H6 92G6 E@ C6>2:? A2CE @7 E96D6 >2C<6ED 3642FD6 H6 ?665 E@ :>A@CE[Q D2:5 $:>@? rC2?\|4vC669:?[ 2? 2?2=JDE 2E E96 t?6C8J 2?5 r=:>2E6 x?E6==:86?46 &?:E[ 2 ?@?\AC@7:E C6D62C49 8C@FA]k^Am
kAm!C:46D 2C6 D6E @? E96D6 >2C<6ED 244@C5:?8 E@ DFAA=J 2?5 56>2?5[ 2?5 E96 &zVD =@H =6G6= @7 AC@5F4E:@? 92D =:EE=6[ :7 2?J[ :>A24E @? E96>]k^Am
kAmQqC:?8:?8 :? ?6H AC@5F4E:@? E2<6D J62CD[ H9:49 >62?D E92E 2?J ?6H @:= 2?5 82D H@F=5 2CC:G6 =@?8 27E6C E96 4C:D:D 92D A2DD65[Q E96 &z t?6C8J #6D62C49 r6?EC6 D2:5 :? 2 C646?E 3C:67:?8]k^Am
k9am\ (92E 2C6 E96 @E96C D@=FE:@?Dn \k^9am
kAm%96 BF6DE 7@C 6?6C8J :?56A6?56?46 92D C6EFC?65 E@ E96 7@C67C@?E D:?46 E96 DE2CE @7 E96 |:55=6 t2DE H2C[ 2D :E 5:5 27E6C #FDD:2 :?G2565 &<C2:?6 :? a_aa[ H9:49 D6?E 82D AC:46D D@2C:?8]k^Am
kAm%H@ @AE:@?D 2C6 @7E6? AFE 7@CH2C5 3J 6IA6CEDi C65F4:?8 7@DD:= 7F6= 4@?DF>AE:@? 2?5 D:8?:7:42?E=J 6IA2?5:?8 C6?6H23=6D]k^Am
kAmQ%96 &z 92D @?6 @7 E96 3:886DE @77D9@C6 H:?5 >2C<6ED :? E96 H@C=5[Q z92? D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ(6 2=C625J 92G6 2 324<=@8 @7 C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J AC@;64ED E92E 2C6 H2:E:?8 7@C 8C:5 4@??64E:@?D[Q 2?5 E96 E:>6=:?6D 2C6 A@E6?E:2==J Q>F49 D9@CE6CQ E92? 7@C 7@DD:= 7F6= AC@;64ED]k^Am
kAm#6?6H23=6D 2=D@ @776C DEC@?86C ;@3 4C62E:@? AC@DA64ED]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 2 DEF5J 3J #@36CE v@C5@? &?:G6CD:EJ :? p36C566? C6=62D65 =2DE J62C[ E96 H@C<7@C46 :? E96 @:= 2?5 82D D64E@C 4@F=5 36 4FE :? 92=7 3J E96 62C=J a_b_D[ H9:=6 ;@3D :? C6?6H23=6D 2C6 AC@;64E65 E@ ?62C=J EC:A=6 3J a_bd]k^Am
kAm2=3\2;3^;<3^8:G^468k^Am