E.ON has said appraisal of a find it made with Aberdeen-based Dana Petroleum shows it was one of the biggest made in the gas-rich Southern North Sea in the last decade.

The German utility firm said the results of an appraisal well drilled in July showed the Tolmount find off the Yorkshire coast could contain significantly higher volumes of gas than originally estimated when it was made in 2011. The results underline the exploration potential of the UK North Sea.

E.ON said its exploration and production arm is one of the fastest growing companies in the North Sea.

The firm said it was one of the most successful bidders for offshore exploration acreage in the latest UK licensing round. Dana Petroleum was bought by Korea National Oil Corp for £1.9bn in 2010.

See Enquest story on p23