North Sea operators produced 21,000 extra barrels of oil equivalent (boe) every day in 2025 by running their facilities more efficiently and reducing the number of unplanned shutdowns, a new report shows.

Production efficiency, which indicates how well companies are performing by comparing actual production with maximum potential output, increased by one percentage point to 76% last year.

The improvement equated to the production of 21,000 additional boe per day last year, more than 7.5 million boe in total, according to the annual production efficiency report from the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA). This represents an impressive turnaround following a decrease of 2 percentage points between 2023 and 2024.

Average daily production was approximately 1.1 million boe per day in 2025, while full-year output totalled 401 million boe.

For the first time since 2021, operators reduced production losses caused by issues with facilities, wells and systems used to transport oil and gas to onshore terminals in 2025.

Operators planned maintenance and executed shutdowns more effectively and have been engaging with the NSTA to identify shut-in wells they could bring back online.

NSTA Operations Director Tom Wheeler said:
“The rise in production efficiency in 2025 shows that even mature basins such as the North Sea can reward those with high operating standards with additional barrels.

“The NSTA will continue to help operators make the most of their fields by sharing best practice and learning lessons through its stewardship reviews, data tools, and the work of industry task forces.”

About North Sea Transition Authority

The North Sea Transition Authority is the business name for the Oil & Gas Authority, a limited company registered in England and Wales with registered number 09666504 and VAT registered number 249433979. Our registered office is at Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT.