where does uk get its oil
The UK gets its oil from a mix of domestic North Sea production and imports, mainly from Norway, the United States, and other countries such as Nigeria, Libya, Algeria and OPEC producers, with Russia now essentially at zero because of sanctions.
Quick Scoop: Where does the UK get its oil?
1. Big picture
- The UK still produces a substantial amount of oil and gas from the UK Continental Shelf (North Sea and nearby fields), but production has declined compared with earlier decades.
- To meet demand, it imports large volumes of crude oil and refined products (like diesel and jet fuel) from a wide range of countries.
- The UK also exports some of its own crude (especially certain North Sea grades) while importing other grades that better suit its refineries, so it is both an importer and exporter at the same time.
2. Main suppliers of crude oil (latest data)
Recent UK government and industry statistics show that imports are spread across more than 20 countries, but a few stand out.
Key crude suppliers to the UK in 2023–2024:
- Norway – Long‑term major supplier of crude and natural gas liquids to the UK; one of the top sources in recent years.
- United States – Supplies large volumes of crude; 2024 was a record year for UK crude imports from the US, at about 16 million tonnes.
- Other important crude exporters – Nigeria, Libya, Algeria and other OPEC countries together make up a significant share of UK crude imports, especially after Russian supplies were phased out.
After the UK banned Russian oil imports in December 2022, crude from OPEC countries rose by over a third from 2022 to 2023 and increased again into 2024, reaching around 20% of UK crude imports.
3. Refined products: diesel, petrol, jet fuel
The question “where does the UK get its oil?” often really includes refined fuels like diesel, petrol and jet fuel, which are traded differently from crude. For refined products in 2024:
- The Netherlands – The UK’s closest major refining and trading hub; Dutch refineries and storage terminals handled about a fifth of UK oil product imports (roughly 6.4 million tonnes).
- United States – Accounted for about 16% of UK oil product imports; particularly important for diesel.
- Belgium – Another major route for diesel and other fuels into the UK.
- Kuwait – Has become the primary source of imported jet fuel, supplying about 38% of total UK jet fuel imports in 2024 (around 4.1 million tonnes).
- India, UAE, Saudi Arabia – Each supplied more than one million tonnes of jet fuel or other products.
4. How much does the UK import?
- In 2024, the UK imported tens of millions of tonnes of crude oil and natural gas liquids, with total crude and NGL imports in the low‑40‑million‑tonne range in recent years.
- Monthly crude oil import values have often exceeded £2 billion, especially after the 2022 price spike, with an all‑time value high around £3.3 billion in June 2022.
- The UK’s fuel trade is dynamic: some North Sea crude is exported (often to European refineries), while the UK imports other crude and products that match domestic refinery configurations and fuel demand.
5. Recent shifts and “latest news” context
Several big changes over the last few years shape where the UK gets its oil now:
- Ban on Russian oil – Since 5 December 2022 the UK has effectively stopped importing Russian crude and most Russian oil products, forcing a diversification to the US, Norway, the Netherlands, Kuwait and various OPEC members.
- Changing refinery landscape – UK refineries are processing less North Sea crude as a share of their supply; closures and global price dynamics have contributed to more crude being imported instead.
- Energy security debates – UK parliamentary and industry discussions highlight the trade‑off between approving new North Sea fields versus relying on imports from allies and global markets.
6. Simple table: main sources
Here’s a compact view of the main recent sources for UK oil and oil products:
| Type of supply | Main countries | Role for the UK |
|---|---|---|
| Crude oil | US, Norway, Nigeria, Libya, Algeria, other OPEC states | [1][5]Feedstock for UK and foreign refineries |
| Oil products (overall) | Netherlands, US, Belgium, Kuwait, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia | [5]Diesel, petrol, jet fuel and other refined products |
| Jet fuel specifically | Kuwait (largest), plus India, UAE, Saudi Arabia | [5]Supplies UK aviation fuel demand |
| Domestic production | UK North Sea and nearby offshore fields | [8]Reduces, but does not remove, need for imports |
Information gathered from public data and official statistics available on the internet and portrayed here.
TL;DR: The UK gets its oil partly from its own North Sea fields, but increasingly from imports, mainly crude from the US, Norway and OPEC members, and refined fuels from hubs like the Netherlands, Kuwait and the US, with Russian oil now out of the mix.
