The UK Government has approved drilling at the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, ending months of uncertainty over the project's future. Owner Adura says the field could deliver approximately 6% of UK North Sea gas production.
Approval follows consultations
The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) granted consent for drilling after Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh authorised the move. Fresh public consultations on the proposal were carried out earlier this year, closing in August, and the Government gave the go-ahead on Wednesday morning.
Fahnbulleh said the decision will "support the country's energy security with homegrown gas this winter" and help minimise the UK's use of imported higher emission fuels. She added: "Following careful consideration of all relevant factors, I have agreed that the regulator can grant consent for gas to be produced at Jackdaw, which will begin to supply the UK with gas from this winter thanks to the highly skilled and vital North Sea workers."
Jobs and climate commitments
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the decision will "protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm", while emphasising it would not compromise the Government's renewable energy targets. He said: "At a time when people are really struggling, it's right that we look in a responsible way at maximising the existing energy reserves we have in Britain that could help. We're committed to moving towards renewable energy and reaching net zero by 2050. But even on our ambitious climate path, we'll still require oil and gas as part of our energy needs for decades to come."
Fahnbulleh stated the decision is "compatible with our legally binding climate commitments", and the Government remains "resolute in ending new licences for oil and gas and achieving net zero by 2050".
Rosebank decision pending
The Jackdaw project is one of two – along with the Rosebank oil field off Shetland – which received approval from the previous Conservative government. Both were granted drilling licences in June 2022, but this was overturned by Scottish courts following a legal challenge from environmental campaigners, after a UK Supreme Court ruling that developers must factor in the climate impact of burning fossil fuels within their planning applications.
A separate decision on Rosebank, the largest untapped oil field in the North Sea, is still pending, with Fahnbulleh indicating it will take "a bit longer". The decisions are regarded as a significant test for Burnham, who previously stated he would "take a pragmatic approach when it comes to the North Sea" since assuming office in the summer. The 2024 manifesto pledged not to issue any new oil and gas licences for the North Sea, but supporters of both projects within the party have contended that neither constitutes a new fossil fuel field, given that plans to develop them were already under way before Labour took office.
