Brian Binley, the Conservative member for Northampton South, was invited to the South Atlantic as part of a scheme by islanders to keep their issues on the agenda in Parliament.

The MP, accompanied by Labour MP Madeleine Moon, was a guest of the island's government and was shown the latest surveys of British waters, which could yield untapped oil and gas.

Mr Binley said: "They are in the final stages of exploring what is there. We were shown seismic surveys that had recently been carried out and they were very, very encouraging.

"From what we saw, the areas were sizeable and therefore commercially viable. The operation to collect it will probably change the society on the islands, but from a British point of view this is very significant. Energy security is the name of the game at the moment. This would be massively important to Britain."

Mr Binley learned that exploratory drilling had been taking place since the late 1990s, but the new survey had caught the attention of large companies , which are set to start collecting the oil and gas next year.

Mr Binley was taken to islands on a Ministry of Defence plane, escorted by two RAF Tornados, and visited the capital, Stanley, scene of the Argentine surrender after the war of 1982.

He also visited San Carlos Bay, where he laid a wreath at a memorial at the British War Cemetery.

He said: "There were Northampton lads out there who served in the Falklands operation and it was very moving to be at the memorial."