Madrid is sending troops to bolster security in its North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants swam from Morocco into the territory on Thursday.
Ministers were told the bombshell announcement on Friday morning should serve as a 'deadly serious wake up call' over the future of Britain's huge natural resource.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham hinted at a shift in Labour's ideological ban on new drilling, saying that at a time of tight government finances the North Sea was a resource 'we can't ignore'.