About oil and gas
Oil and gas is found in the Danish part of the North Sea and Denmark. Denmark has produced oil and gas since 1972, a production of great importance to the Danish economy, which creates workplaces both onshore and offshore.
Oil and gas are important to the Danish economy
Denmark has produced oil and gas from the Danish part of the North Sea since 1972. Oil and gas production still contributes significantly to state revenue. Thus, the tax revenue, exports and profits generated by the oil and gas sector have had a major impact on the Danish economy and helped build the Danish welfare state.
Denmark has been a net exporter of oil and natural gas since 1997. Forecasts show that Denmark will remain a net exporter until the 2020s.
In the past 50 years, oil companies have invested vast sums in the exploration, development and operation of Danish oil and gas fields. Moreover, the oil and gas activities have created workplaces for numerous people on the oil and gas platforms in the Danish part of the North Sea and in onshore offices.
Oil and gas production in the North Sea
Over the past 50 years, oil companies have invested in the exploration, development, and operation of Danish oil and gas fields.
There are 21 oil and gas fields in the Danish part of the North Sea, contributing to the Danish production. TotalEnergies is the operator of 15 of the producing fields, while INEOS is the operator of five fields and Wintershall Nordzee is operating of one field. In total 57 platforms are in operation
Furthermore, there are seven fields that have not yet been developed, and therefore have no production yet. TotalEnergies operates four of these, INEOS is the operator of one field and Petrogas Denmark Aps the operator on two fields.
Data on oil and gas production
The Danish Energy Agency publishes monthly and yearly production figures for all the oil and gas fields in the Danish part of the North Sea.
The Danish Energy Agency also prepares an assessment of Danish oil and gas reserves as well as oil and gas production forecasts.
Exploration and production require a licence
Oil and gas exploration and production require special permission from the Danish state in the form of a licence. A licence grants a company or a group of companies the right to explore for and produce oil and gas from a certain area in the Danish subsoil.
The DEA supervises the exploration and production comprised by the licences and approves plans for the development of fields and drilling of wells, among other activities. Moreover, the DEA is under a duty to publish information about the oil companies’ production and specific information related to environmental approvals, etc.