Oil and Gas from the North Sea - 1.

Exploration activities in the North Sea began after the discovery of the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands. Initial major successes were recorded during the mid-1960s. By mid-1976, some 830 exploration wells were drilled. The activities centered mainly on the British and Norwegian sectors. Conservative estimates indicate some 200 million tons/yr of oil may become available for the European market in the early 1980s. The chances of finding oil and gas in the northern part of the North Sea and northern Atlantic are considered to be fairly good.