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| More oil firms to halt North Sea plans after tax hike | More oil firms to halt North Sea plans after tax hike |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Two more major oil and gas companies are considering shelving investment projects in the North Sea in the wake of last week's tax hike. | Two more major oil and gas companies are considering shelving investment projects in the North Sea in the wake of last week's tax hike. |
| Scottish Gas-owner Centrica is understood to be reviewing its current and future developments. | Scottish Gas-owner Centrica is understood to be reviewing its current and future developments. |
| Valiant Petroleum also said it has cancelled a project worth up to £93m. | Valiant Petroleum also said it has cancelled a project worth up to £93m. |
| It comes after Norwegian company Statoil said on Tuesday that it has halted development of two new oil and gas fields worth up to £10bn. | It comes after Norwegian company Statoil said on Tuesday that it has halted development of two new oil and gas fields worth up to £10bn. |
| The Mariner field - being developed with Nautical Petroleum and Italy's ENI - and the Bressay field - owned jointly with Royal Dutch Shell - have combined reserves of 640 million barrels of oil. | The Mariner field - being developed with Nautical Petroleum and Italy's ENI - and the Bressay field - owned jointly with Royal Dutch Shell - have combined reserves of 640 million barrels of oil. |
| "The proposed tax change in the UK significantly impacts the economics of these projects," said Statoil spokesman Baard Glad Pedersen. | "The proposed tax change in the UK significantly impacts the economics of these projects," said Statoil spokesman Baard Glad Pedersen. |
| "These are challenging projects, that are more marginal economically, so we need to evaluate how this tax increase impacts them and consider how to move forward from this." | |
| Aberdeen rebels | |
| Meanwhile two Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs rebelled against the coalition government's North Sea tax hike when it came up for a vote in the Commons on Tuesday night. | |
| Malcolm Bruce and Sir Robert Smith - both of whom represent constituencies in Aberdeenshire, which hosts much of the Scottish North Sea oil industry - voted against the measure. | |
| The government won the vote by 334 to 13, with most Labour MPs abstaining, and only the Scottish National Party voting against as a bloc. | |
| Two Labour MPs, Anne Begg and Frank Doran - also from Aberdeen - opposed the measure. | |
| 'Rethink' | 'Rethink' |
| Malcolm Webb, head of the trade body Oil and Gas UK, called for emergency meetings over the £2bn windfall tax on the North Sea oil industry, announced in the Chancellor's Budget last week. | |
| The industry has claimed tens of thousands of jobs in the UK could go. | The industry has claimed tens of thousands of jobs in the UK could go. |
| Graham Stewart, chief executive of Aberdeen-based Faroe Petroleum, said the rise would have an impact. | Graham Stewart, chief executive of Aberdeen-based Faroe Petroleum, said the rise would have an impact. |
| "We're active in Norway, which is known as quite a high tax environment, but they encourage exploration by giving companies tax rebates the year after they've incurred their costs," he said. | "We're active in Norway, which is known as quite a high tax environment, but they encourage exploration by giving companies tax rebates the year after they've incurred their costs," he said. |
| "The UK's doing quite the opposite, it's making it more difficult for exploration companies. | "The UK's doing quite the opposite, it's making it more difficult for exploration companies. |
| "So it will more than likely cause some degree of movement out of the UK. | "So it will more than likely cause some degree of movement out of the UK. |
| "I think Norway, from our point of view, is the area we'll focus a bit more on." | "I think Norway, from our point of view, is the area we'll focus a bit more on." |
| Surging oil prices | Surging oil prices |
| Oil and Gas UK wants to discuss the move with the Treasury and with the government-industry forum, Pilot. | Oil and Gas UK wants to discuss the move with the Treasury and with the government-industry forum, Pilot. |
| It follows the Budget announcement of the £2bn tax to fund a fuel duty cut, after a surge in global oil prices. | It follows the Budget announcement of the £2bn tax to fund a fuel duty cut, after a surge in global oil prices. |
| The trade body's economic director Mike Tholen rejected claims that the reduction in corporation tax will balance the loss of revenue. | The trade body's economic director Mike Tholen rejected claims that the reduction in corporation tax will balance the loss of revenue. |
| "I'd like to say that was the case," he said. | "I'd like to say that was the case," he said. |
| "Unfortunately our corporation tax is 30% basic. We pay 32% on top and that will not change because of the Budget. | "Unfortunately our corporation tax is 30% basic. We pay 32% on top and that will not change because of the Budget. |
| "So we're still in circumstances where tax goes down for the rest of industry but goes up for us. | "So we're still in circumstances where tax goes down for the rest of industry but goes up for us. |
| "It's not the best way to maximise investment in the UK's resources." | "It's not the best way to maximise investment in the UK's resources." |
| Senior members of Oil and Gas UK met in Aberdeen on Monday to discuss its response. | Senior members of Oil and Gas UK met in Aberdeen on Monday to discuss its response. |
| It said the Budget looked like it was constructed hurriedly, without assessing the damage to investor confidence. | It said the Budget looked like it was constructed hurriedly, without assessing the damage to investor confidence. |
| Chief executive Malcolm Webb said: "The move has made companies rethink their plans to step up investment in the next few years, jeopardising tens of thousands of jobs as well as indigenous oil and gas production which will likely lead to an increase in the import of these fuels. | Chief executive Malcolm Webb said: "The move has made companies rethink their plans to step up investment in the next few years, jeopardising tens of thousands of jobs as well as indigenous oil and gas production which will likely lead to an increase in the import of these fuels. |
| "The lost trust will take a very long time to rebuild. Meanwhile, the industry has called an emergency meeting of Pilot, the government-industry forum established to help maximise recovery from the UK continental shelf, and also with the Treasury." | "The lost trust will take a very long time to rebuild. Meanwhile, the industry has called an emergency meeting of Pilot, the government-industry forum established to help maximise recovery from the UK continental shelf, and also with the Treasury." |