Conspiracy theories

Yes Shetland have gone from what they claimed to be positive to downright negative and now so low as to need to add conspiracy theories to their repertoire (‘PM knew nothing’, SN 3/8/14).

What is happening on the west side of Shetland is there on the internet to be read about and one of the best links is this one regarding Whirlwind and Lancaster.

This link that has been available since February this year, so no secrecy; is extremely informative, showing where the oil is, how deep it is and how it is recovered. It also gives an idea of how expensive it is to extract from deep wells such as this, something which is aided by tax concessions from the UK government to the oil companies, without which it would mean the oil would maybe stay where it is with the present low price.

This is where I could add my own conspiracy theory, by saying the yes camp knew of the PM’s visit days before he arrived, (as posted on Yes Shetland Facebook) it is also possible they thought they knew of his announcement about an oil find on the west side. I could even add that the strike on site was politically motivated to stop him speaking.

But not being a conspiracy theorist I would not say any of the above. I would just say that the oil companies are keeping the vast extent of oil finds on the west side fairly quiet so that the already low price of oil is not driven down even more. 

Oil is a commodity and the quantity available could affect the price and Douglas’s attempt to turn it into a political commodity just shows how desperate the Yes campaign are getting in their desire to convince voters to vote yes.

Help keep Shetland’s news open to everyone

Good local journalism takes time, care and people on the ground. Membership helps us keep reporting the stories that matter to Shetland — and keep them free for everyone to read. Members get a weekly newsletter created especially for them, local ads only, and can bookmark stories and join the conversation in the comments.

Already a member? Sign in.

£3 per month Billed on or shortly after the 3rd of each month. Cancel anytime. £5 per month Billed on or shortly after the 3rd of each month. Cancel anytime. £10 per month Billed on or shortly after the 3rd of each month. Cancel anytime. Choose another amount Explore all membership options. Choose between monthly, quarterly, annual or one-off payments.

Continue Back to article

 

There may be more oil than first thought out there but the more there is the lower the price, so no increase in revenue for the UK or independent Scottish governments. So where is the gain for the PM to say nothing? Once again the Yes camp have attempted to pull the wool over our eyes and not credit us with the intelligence to find things out for ourselves.

Gordon Harmer,

Brae