The bill to the UK taxpayer for the North Sea oil and gas fields could be twice as high as the UK Treasury forecasts , warns energy intelligence firm Wood McKenzie , which suggests £ 24bn ( $ 1 ) is more likely than the forecast £ 16bn . This could turn the industry into a major net expenditure rather than the dependable revenue generator it has been for the UK government since the 1970s . Decommissioning is expected to take four decades to complete, but while the Treasury forecasts a final bill of £16 billion (US$19bn), Wood Mackenzie believe the true figure will be twice as high, at £24 billion (US$29bn). It could also upset the Scottish National Party 's push for independence as North Sea oil was branded its main source of support for an independent Scotland in the 2014 independence referendum proposal .
The bill to the UK taxpayer for the North Sea oil and gas fields could be twice as high as the UK Treasury forecasts , warns energy intelligence firm Wood McKenzie , which suggests £ 24bn ( $ 1 ) is more likely than the forecast £ 16bn . This could turn the industry into a major net expenditure rather than the dependable revenue generator it has been for the UK government since the 1970s . It could also upset the Scottish National Party 's push for independence as North Sea oil was branded its main source of support for an independent Scotland in the 2014 independence referendum proposal .