EDINBURGH, Scotland, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said Wednesday his country is "undeniably" a major player in the international oil and natural gas market.
"As an international oil and gas exporter, Scotland is undeniably a main player," he said.
The Scottish government published an oil and gas bulletin Wednesday, its first-ever estimate of oil and natural gas exports. Ewing said the data show Scottish exports of oil and natural gas to the British and international markets were worth about $48 billion in 2012.
Scotland holds a referendum for independence from the United Kingdom in September. The Scottish government said it could support itself in large part with oil and natural gas revenue.
The Scottish government said "home-grown expertise" in the energy sector helped Scottish companies land contracts from Brazil to Australia.
"Increasingly, our companies are embracing the major opportunities in the oil and gas supply chain, winning lucrative contracts to export products and services from Scotland," Ewing said.
Apart from oil and natural gas, Scotland has one of the most ambitious renewable energy targets in the world. It set a goal of generating 100 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020.
