The boss of Deltic Energy says the trade war triggered by President Trump's tariffs has strengthened the case for maximising North Sea production.
Andrew Nunn - the firm's CEO - said that it has "never been more important" for the UK to develop and maximise the benefit of its own resources.
In an update on Deltic's Selene discovery, which looks to be a third bigger then previously expected, Nunn said such fields will be crucial for cutting the UK's reliance on more carbon-intensive imports.
"Recent global events have reinforced the case for maximising the benefits from the United Kingdom's domestic resources," he said.
"With continued government support for the development of new fields on existing licences there appears to have been a realisation that, while we continue to consume hydrocarbons as a society, then the focus should be on maximising the proportion of 'good barrels' in the energy mix.
"These barrels are, or will be, produced locally and, in the case of newer developments, from facilities which are specifically designed with a net zero target in mind.
"Hydrocarbons produced in the UK have a lower emissions footprint than imported oil and gas and are operated under the strictest environmental regulations. They also support high quality UK jobs and provide important tax revenues to the Exchequer."
He added: "We continue to explore various avenues as we work to secure the funding required to maintain our interest in the Selene project as the JV works toward a Final Investment Decision in early 2027.
"We believe that it has never been more important for the UK to develop and maximise the benefit of its own resources, like Selene, and thereby maximising the proportion of 'good barrels' in the mix as we become increasingly dependent on imported oil and gas."