A public consultation into the controversial Rosebank oil field has commenced, with energy company bosses urging the UK government to grant timely consent for both the Rosebank and Jackdaw developments to maximize national benefits. Neil McCulloch, chief executive of Adura, which aims to develop both fields, spoke out as the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (Opred) opened the consultation.
Project Scale and Investment
Rosebank, located approximately 80 miles north-west of Shetland, is the UK's largest untapped oil field, containing an estimated 300 million barrels of oil. Adura claims the project will bring £8.7 billion of investment. Together with the Jackdaw gas field, the combined investment totals £10.8 billion, with over three-quarters of that amount spent in the UK. Over their lifetimes, the two fields could generate up to £28.7 billion in economic activity and support more than 3,500 jobs at peak construction, with 880 ongoing positions.
Energy Production and Security
If approved, Rosebank and Jackdaw could together provide around 10% of the UK's domestic natural gas production at peak. Rosebank alone is expected to produce approximately 69,000 barrels of oil per day, equivalent to about 10% of anticipated UK Continental Shelf oil output. With total UK oil production projected to fall to about 420,000 barrels per day by 2030, Adura says Rosebank could slow the decline in domestic production by several years, reducing dependence on international markets.
CEO Statement
Speaking as the consultation opened, McCulloch said: "Rosebank is a project of national scale and significance. It represents an anticipated investment of £8.7 billion and has the potential to support businesses, skilled workers and communities across the UK for many years to come." He added: "We welcome the opening of public consultation and would encourage everyone who wants to see Britain strengthen its energy security, create high-quality jobs and support its world-class energy supply chain to make their voice heard."
Environmental Opposition
Environmental campaigners strongly oppose the project due to climate change concerns. Tessa Khan, executive director at Uplift, which won a legal case against Rosebank in 2025, said: "Rosebank has nothing to do with the UK's energy security and everything to do with increasing the profits of a few, already obscenely wealthy, oil companies. Rosebank won't take a penny off our bills or meaningfully boost UK energy supplies – it's overwhelmingly oil for export. But burning its oil would produce emissions equal to 70% of the UK's annual total, making it utterly incompatible with safe climate limits."
Consultation Details
The public consultation will run until August 17. The UK government will ultimately decide whether Rosebank proceeds. McCulloch stressed that "timely consent for both Rosebank and Jackdaw is the way to deliver the greatest benefit for the UK – supporting domestic energy production, unlocking billions of pounds of economic activity and giving supply-chain businesses the confidence to invest in their people and our industrial future."
Broader Context
The debate over Rosebank highlights tensions between energy security, economic investment, and climate commitments. While proponents argue the projects will create jobs and reduce reliance on imports, critics warn they undermine climate goals and disproportionately benefit oil companies at public expense. The consultation period invites public input before the final decision.
