According to Scottish Development International (Energy in Scotland – Key Facts about the Industry):
1. There are an estimated 920 million tonnes of recoverable crude oil remaining in North Sea oil fields.
2. Scotland is Europe's leading offshore gas producer, with most of its reserves being found offshore in the North Sea.
3. Scotland has the potential to generate 59.1 GW of power through renewable energy, with the prospect of becoming a major exporter of sustainable energy.
4. Scotland’s gas fields contain a maximum remaining reserve of 1330 billion cubic metres (bcm).
5. The Scottish oil and gas industry supports 100,000 jobs, with almost 3,000 service and supply companies active in more than 40 countries worldwide.
6. As many of the world's unexplored oil fields lie under very deep water, Scotland's expertise in subsea technology will continue to grow in importance.
7. Some Scottish oil fields have been discovered relatively recently and are at an early stage of their productive life.
8. Of the 500 exploration rigs in the world, 75 are to be found in the North Sea.
Energy in Scotland – Key Facts about the Industry
9. The amount of fuel still left in the (North Sea) oilfields could be the equivalent of all that has been extracted since they were first exploited in the 1970s;
enough to last another 44 years.
A typical Scottish house of the future. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Emirates_Palace_Hotel_Abu_Dhabi_front.jpg)
There is a lot of oil left in the North Sea, much more than most people think.
"Untapped North Sea oil reserves far exceed industry estimates... according to geological experts.
"Industry experts now believe that the remaining reserves exceed current estimates by as much as a fifth." - North Sea oil reserves could be a fifth higher
The Scottish Government points out that in recent months oil has produced an additional North Sea tax bonanza of at least £4.3 billion. - Scotland wants share of oil tax
Scotland would be the third richest country in Europe if it was independent.
"Ultimately, Salmond hopes that an independent Scotland would receive a 90% share of North Sea oil revenues, making it one of Europe’s richest countries with an annual budget surplus of more than £4 billion." - Alex Salmond demands £1.5bn oil cash
Tidal electricity generator awaiting installation. en.wikipedia.org/
Scotland should become the richest country in the world, if it is independent.
The Sunday Times in Scotland,( Huge tidal power plan for Scotland - Times Online), 28 September 2008, tells us:
1. Enough TIDAL POWER could be generated off Scotland's north coast to produce 25 gigawatts of energy.
2. That is FOUR TIMES what Scotland uses at present.
3. Surplus power could be sold to England and Europe.
4. The Pentland Firth, between Scotland and Orkney, is a perfect site for what could be the world's biggest tidal energy 'farm'.
5. Scotland could produce 25% of Europe’s tidal power and 10% of its wave power.
Scotland has oil (at least half the oil is still to come) and it has wind and wave power.
And, more than 1000 new hydro-electric power stations may be built in Scotland in the next few years years according to Scottish Government advisers. ( Scotland may have a thousand more hydro sites)
Above Loch Ness, the £150m Glendoe hydro-electric scheme is nearing completion.
Scottish and Southern Energy's Glendoe project will be capable of generating 100mw of power, enough to power Glasgow.
Glendoe will be the second largest hydro scheme out of the 80 already in Scotland.
Most were built in the late 1940s and early 1950s.