A magnitude 3.0 earthquake was recorded in the North Sea, approximately 140 kilometres east of Sumburgh, Shetland, on Saturday morning, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS). The tremor, which began at 9:25am, is the largest seismic event in Britain for at least two months, but was classified as only a “slight” shake, with no reports of it being felt on the Shetland Isles or nearby communities.
Despite its proximity—just over a dozen kilometres—from the Kraken and Kraken North oilfields, operated by EnQuest, there have been no reports of disruption to oil and gas operations or other business activities in the area.
The Shetland Times has approached EnQuest for comment, but as of publication, no issues have been confirmed. The BGS noted that earthquakes of this magnitude are unlikely to cause any structural damage or significant operational impacts.
While Saturday’s event was minor, seismic experts highlight that the risk from earthquakes in the North Sea is not insignificant, especially when considering sensitive infrastructure such as offshore oil platforms and pipelines.
The BGS advises that seismic risk must be considered in engineering and safety planning for such installations. However, events of this size are generally not disruptive, and larger earthquakes in the region are rare.
How Common Are Earthquakes in the North Sea?
Earthquakes are not uncommon in the North Sea, though most are small. According to the BGS, the North Sea typically experiences around four earthquakes of magnitude 3.0–3.9 each year, and one of magnitude 4.0 or higher annually. The largest recent event in the broader North Sea region was a magnitude 4.5 quake in the southern Viking Graben in 2017, which was among the most significant in the last century.
Seismic hazard assessments for the UK offshore area indicate that while the region is distant from active plate boundaries, crustal stresses are relieved along pre-existing fault lines, occasionally resulting in moderate tremors. The risk of a damaging earthquake remains low, but not negligible, and is factored into the design and operation of offshore infrastructure.
A spokesperson for the British Geological Survey commented: “A magnitude three on the Richter scale makes this earthquake the largest in Britain for at least two months, but still only a ‘slight’ shake unlikely to cause damage”. The BGS further notes: “The risk from these earthquakes is not insignificant and must be considered when engineering for sensitive installations”.
