Aberdeen South MP Douglas Lumsden has written to Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh urging her to approve the Rosebank oil field, following the green light given to the Jackdaw gas field.
Ms Fahnbulleh announced on Wednesday that the Jackdaw gas field, located around 150 miles east of Aberdeen, had been approved after years of uncertainty and a court case. However, reports suggest the Rosebank oil field, often grouped with Jackdaw, could be rejected.
MP's Concerns Over Rejection
In his letter to Ms Fahnbulleh, Mr Lumsden expressed deep concern over reports that she is considering rejecting the Rosebank oilfield. He urged approval to provide certainty for workers and businesses across the North East, noting that Aberdeen and his constituents depend on continued oil and gas extraction.
Rosebank is set to support 1,600 to 2,000 jobs during peak construction and provide up to 525 long-term, UK-based jobs. Mr Lumsden argued there are not enough jobs in the renewable sector to replace those in oil and gas, calling any denial "cruel, unnecessary and uneconomic."
Government Policies Under Fire
Mr Lumsden added that if the Prime Minister wants growth in every postcode, he must approve Rosebank, scrap the Energy Profits Levy, and remove Labour's ban on all new licences for Aberdeen South. The UK Government has been contacted for comment.
The call follows SNP criticism of the creation of an "energy wealth fund" on Wednesday, which, with a starting balance of £2 billion, will be bolstered by North Sea revenues and reinvested in renewables projects.
SNP's Response
SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan said the fund should have been created decades ago, stating Scotland should have an oil fund worth at least £1 trillion. He argued that Scotland's energy should be in Scotland's hands, and that every penny invested from Scotland's waters should be reinvested back into the nation.
Mr Doogan said this goes to the heart of why independence is now the preferred choice of the Scottish people, with every pound of revenue used to benefit the nation as it builds anew back home in the EU.
