NORTH SEA OIL

( in Britain ) oil obtained from under the North Sea , mainly from the area around the east coast of Scotland and the north-east coast of England. The oil was discovered in 1969 and first brought out in 1975. By 1994, Britain had become the world’s eighth largest producer. North Sea oil has been a major political issue between the British government and the Scottish people, many of whom have felt that Scotland should benefit more from the great wealth that lies under the sea off its coast.