Data shows 700 oil and chemical spills in UK seas in a year

Offshore Energies UK claims companies in North Sea have “stringent” regulations to protect marine habitats, with oil mass in produced water decreasing by 30% since 2019

A ‘live spill map’ has highlighted pollution from the oil and gas industry in UK waters.

The map, created by Oceana UK for the Ocean Alliance Against Offshore Drilling, allows anyone to investigate individual spills and the company responsible, and to check whether any action has been taken by government. 

Oceana figures state that UK seas have suffered nearly 700 oil and chemical spills in the past 12 months. One spill, in the Alba oil field off north-east Scotland in August 2024, contained 2,800kg of a biocide described as “very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects”.

The spill took place just 25 km from a marine protected area and, as yet, there has been no formal investigation. 

Oceana added that actual pollution levels are unknown due to poor self-reporting by oil corporations, as nearly a third (32%) of the permit breach reports between January 21-May 24 failed to include the volume of oil. 

Naomi Tilley, Oil and Gas Campaign Lead for Oceana UK, described the situation as  “sickening”. She said: “It should be headline news, yet for years opaque reporting has meant that ‘Big Oil’ has been using UK waters as an oil and chemical dump without public scrutiny.

“We urge everyone who cares about our ocean to use the map to help us expose this hidden outrage. Seeing the data laid out makes it crystal clear that the oil and gas industry cannot be trusted with UK seas. It’s time for government to fully implement — and make permanent — its ban on all new oil and gas.”

John Amos, CEO at environmental non-profit, SkyTruth, said: “The fact that this is an underestimate is deeply worrying. We’re talking about companies making billions in profit every year. Continued sloppy operations that result in chronic and persistent oil pollution are inexcusable.” 

“I worry for the marine environment, but I also worry from a human health perspective that we’re going to be contaminated by eating food that we source from our oceans.”

Dr Rosie Williams from the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), said: “A recent review looked at toxic chemicals released in produced water. They found more than 1,000 toxic chemicals. They do bio-accumulate and they persist in the food chain.

“I worry for the marine environment, but I also worry from a human health perspective that we’re going to be contaminated by eating food that we source from our oceans.”

Mark Wilson, Operations and HSE Director at industry body, Offshore Energies UK, responded that companies operating in the North Sea are subject to “stringent” regulations to protect the marine environment. 

The regulations relate to oil mass in ‘produced water’, the water that comes out of the well with the crude oil during production, and the subsequent discharge of chemicals.

Wilson said: “The latest data from the offshore petroleum regulator (OPRED), covering up until 2024, shows that oil mass in produced water has decreased by 30% since 2019.” 

A Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero spokesperson said: “Our environmental protection measures for offshore oil and gas activities are among the strongest in the world.

“Every oil spill and discharge breach is investigated by OPRED proportionately, which can take enforcement action against operators if needed, including the use of fines or referral for criminal prosecution.”