A blueprint outlining four key priorities for the Government to help secure the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry has been launched by trade association Oil & Gas UK.

The blueprint, called Vision 2035, urges the Government to: establish an energy policy that realises the full benefits of the country’s indigenous resources; ensure that the UK Continental Shelf is globally competitive for investment; ensure that Brexit negotiations support, develop and promote the oil and gas industry; and establish practical steps to protect, progress and promote operators, the supply chain and the industry workforce.

The trade association believes that the delivery of these priorities — aligned with an ambitious vision for the offshore industry developed by the Oil and Gas Authority — could help the UK economy to generate an additional £290 billion in revenue over the next 20 years.

Oil & Gas UK chief executive Deirdre Michie said: “Our blueprint details the steps we believe our political leaders should take to help sustain our industry, which continues to help secure the UK’s energy needs and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs.

“We are now operating in a totally different climate and have made big changes to how we do business. Industry has significantly upped its efficiency, improved its cost base by 50% and increased its competitiveness.

“While we are still managing our way through tough times, we must also look ahead.”