Alex Salmond has delivered a New Year message to the oil and gas industry, saying it must work together with the Scottish government to help the sector grow still further in 2013.

The Scottish government says oil and gas currently meets more than two thirds of the UK’s energy needs.

It said there are 24bn barrels of oil still to be recovered in the North Sea, with a wholesale value of £1.5tr.

The First Minister said: "The oil and gas sector is one of Scotland’s biggest success stories and is one of the bedrocks of Scotland’s economy – the sector accounts for more than 90% of total UK oil and gas tax receipts and supporting 440,000 jobs across the UK.

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"2012 has been an astounding year for oil and gas, with a predicted £11.5bn of investment and jobs and investment announcements from Shell, Talisman, Dana Petroleum and Global Energy Group among others."

Mr Salmond continued: "In 2012 I launched Scotland’s oil and gas strategy, developed alongside industry, which made clear that there is still much more to come. The strategy sets out the aim of maximising recovery of oil and gas. The value of this to the economy and exchequer is massive - one per cent more recovery, over the lifetime of projects means twenty two billion more tax revenue

"I regularly meet representatives from the oil and gas sector and hear what they have to say. My New Year’s resolution for 2013 is to do the same and to work with the sector to ensure it goes from strength to strength in the New Year."

(IT/GK)