The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) said the licences were approved for projects that have the potential to go into production more quickly than others.

Climate scientists have warned that the expansion in North Sea oil drilling will do little to lower bills or improve security in the near term, while also counteracting efforts to curb global warming.

Despite this, the government has gone on a spree of approving new projects, with more than 100 new licences issued in 2022.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has said his party will not grant any new licences in the North Sea if it wins the next election as part of plans to bolster the UK’s green economy and help tackle climate change.

But the decision will not stop drilling on projects that have already been approved with the exception of the Rosebank and Cambo schemes, which Labour has said previously it would block.

The government has insisted that the new exploration in the North Sea is compatible with...