This followed a record drop in primary energy production of 13.2 per cent during 2011.
As part of its Digest of UK Energy Statistics, the government department also revealed that electricity generated from renewable sources during 2012 in the UK increased by 19 per cent.
This accounted for 11.3 per cent of total UK electricity generation last year, up from 9.4 per cent in 2011.
Non-renewables generation moved further from gas to coal last year with the “highest share in generation” (39 per cent) coming from coal.
Natural gas production fell 14 per cent in 2012 driven in part by the Elgin gas leak in the North Sea by 14 per cent lat year with gas production falling 64 per cent since 1999.
Coal production was down 8.5 per cent last year compared to 2011, according to Decc and imports of coal were higher compared to 2011, up by 37.8 per cent.
Energy imports were at record levels during 2012, up 6.9 per cent on 2011 levels.
The key source for crude oil was Norway, which accounted for 46 per cent of imports with a large growth in imports from African OPEC countries, according to the government department.
For gas the key source was again Norway, which accounted for 55 per cent of UK imports.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) accounted for 28 per cent of gas imports down from 47 per cent in 2011, with 98 per cent of these imports from Qatar.
The report stated: “There were falls in both oil and gas production caused by long term decline and maintenance activity on the UK Continental Shelf. Production has now fallen each year since 1999, and is now less than half its 1999 levels, and average annual rate of decline of 7.1 per cent.”