Europe / Caspian / CIS
Country profile: United Kingdom
| Location: | Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France |
| Climate: | temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast |
| Terrain: | mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast |
| Size: | 244820 sq. km total (Land area: 241590 sq. km Water area: 3230 sq.km) |
| Population: | 60,943,912 (July 2008 est.) |
| Languages: | English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland) |
| Government: | constitutional monarchy |
| Capital city: | London |
| Legal system: | based on common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
| Currency: | British pound (GBP) |
| Licensing: |
Country profile
The United Kingdom (UK) is an important political and economic power in Europe and the world. It has the second-largest economy in the European Union (EU) with a nominal 2005 gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.2 trillion. The UK economy grew by 1.8 percent in 2005, with growth of 2.2 percent forecasted for 2006. While the UK has been a member of the EU since 1973, it does not participate in the European single currency, the Euro. The UK is the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the EU.
However, after years of being a net exporter of both fuels, the UK became a net importer of natural gas in 2004. Government estimates also predict that the country will become a net importer of oil by the end of the decade. Production from UK oil and natural gas fields peaked in the late 1990s and has declined steadily over the past several years, as the discovery of new reserves has not kept pace with the maturation of existing fields. In response, the government has begun a three-pronged approach to address the predicted domestic shortfalls: 1) increasing domestic production through efficiency gains and the exploitation of marginal fields; 2) establishing necessary import infrastructure, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminals and transnational pipelines; and 3) investing in energy conservation and renewables.
Energy production and consumption
| Oil | Gas | |
| Production: | 1 million bbl/day (2005 est.) | 84 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Consumption: | 1 million bbl/day (2005 est.) | 91 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Exports: | 1 million bbl/day (2005 est.) | 8 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Imports: | 1 million bbl/day (2005 est.) | 15 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Reserves: | 4 billion bbl (1 January 2006 est.) | 509 |
| Major fields: |
United Kingdom - recent news
| 20 May 26 |
UK: Cadeler installs first complete monopile foundation at Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm Cadeler announced May 14 the installation of the first fully commissioned monopile foundation at Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in the UK, marking a major milestone in the execution of one of the world’s largest offshore wind developments. Once completed, Hornsea 3 will become the single largest offshore wind farm in the world, with a total capacity of 2.9 GW – capable of powering more than 3.3 million UK homes with renewable energy. |
| 20 May 26 |
UK energy industry leaders respond to worsening energy crisis Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) the North Sea energy trade body, held emergency talks with industry leaders to call for a new co-ordinated response to the escalating global energy crisis caused by the war in Iran. The meeting comes as the UK government moves to relax sanctions on Russia imposed since the invasion of Ukraine, allowing the import of jet fuel and diesel from third countries. |
| 20 May 26 |
UK: Carlton Power and Schroders Greencoat reach Final Investment Decision on Barrow Green Hydrogen Project The Barrow Green Hydrogen Project marks one of the first renewable hydrogen production facilities to reach FID in the UK, and the first Schroders Greencoat and Carlton Power’s joint venture platform – GHECO - has brought into construction. This development, set to enter commercial operation in 2028, aims to support the Government’s low-carbon hydrogen production programme. |
| 20 May 26 |
UK: Ithaca Energy announces first quarter update and results for the three months to 31 March 2026 Ithaca Energy has announced its unaudited financial results for the three months ended 31 March 2026. |
| 19 May 26 |
UK: OnPath Energy progressing £1billion southern Scotland investment plans with new South Lanarkshire onshore wind agreement Leading renewables developer OnPath Energy is progressing its plans to invest around £1 billion in Southern Scotland over the next five years by partnering with Wilson Forest Products on three new onshore wind farms in South Lanarkshire. |
United Kingdom - more news
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