UK Poised to Approve Jackdaw Gas Field, Rosebank Seen Delayed
Jackdaw is widely expected to win approval in Westminster, while a ruling on the Rosebank oil field off Shetland is not expected yet, a national public broadcaster reported. Several Whitehall sources told the broadcaster the government will make its Jackdaw announcement Wednesday morning, and Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is expected to brief lawmakers afterward.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has repeatedly stressed the need for a “flexible” approach to energy and is believed to favor expanded drilling in areas of the North Sea where licenses already exist.
Jackdaw lies about 150 miles east of Aberdeen. Its operators say the gas field could be linked to the UK grid within months. Rosebank, roughly 80 miles northwest of Shetland, is Britain’s largest untapped oil field and would also yield some gas.
Both projects have endured years of debate, legal battles and public consultations. The Conservative government granted licenses for the fields in 2022 and 2023, triggering court challenges from environmental campaigners.
Last year, the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland, ruled that approvals for Rosebank and Jackdaw were unlawful because the government had not weighed the climate impact of burning the oil and gas produced at the sites.
A national newspaper reported in July that Burnham and Fahnbulleh were weighing approval of oil and gas production at both sites to help curb energy costs before winter.
After summer reports that Burnham’s government might take a more pragmatic line on domestic oil and gas output, US President Donald Trump applauded the shift in posts on Truth Social. He said: “The People of Aberdeen, in Scotland, are dancing in the streets because the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that he will be opening up, all the way, the invaluable North Sea Oil!”
Also on Wednesday, climate group Fossil Free London will protest outside the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Participants will dress as giant receipts showing the projected climate cost in human lives if the government approves the Jackdaw gas and Rosebank oil projects.
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