Oil, gas and coal production woes hit British energy sector

LONDON, May 29 (UPI) -- Total production of natural resources in the United Kingdom fell because of mine closures and offshore field declines, the government said Thursday.

The British government published a report on energy in the country, saying oil production declined by 8.8 percent between 2012 and 2013. Production during the fourth quarter of 2013, however, was 1.2 percent higher year-on-year.

For natural gas, the report from the Department of Energy and Climate Change said production fell by 6.2 percent between 2012 and 2013 and production declined 2.2 percent in fourth quarter 2013 when compared with the same period in 2012.

Coal production fell 24.9 percent from 2012 to 2013 and fourth-quarter production was 30.3 percent lower than fourth quarter 2012.

"Total production in 2013 was 114.0 million tons of oil equivalent, 6.6 percent lower than in 2012," the report said. "This decrease was due to record low production levels of coal, due to a number of mine closures, and oil and gas due to the general decline on the U.K. Continental Shelf."

A number of oil and gas fields in the North Sea are reaching maturation. U.K. Coal, the largest coal producer in the country, in April said it may close two of its last three deep mines in Britain because of economic woes.