Jackdaw gas field in North Sea 'poised for approval' by ministers this month
Reports suggest Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is minded to approve both the Jackdaw and Rosebank drilling sites in the coming months
A major gas field in the North Sea is poised for approval potentially before the end of this month, it has been reported.
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A gas field off the coast of Aberdeen called Jackdaw is said to be set to receive the green light from the Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh.
Another large field, known as Rosebank, could also be approved in the coming months, as the government comes under mounting pressure to strengthen the UK's energy supplies.
Both projects were approved by the last Conservative government but were struck down by the courts after a challenge from environmental campaigners.
Asked if approval of Jackdaw was imminent, a No 10 spokeswoman told reporters: “I don’t have an update for you basically. It’s a quasi-judicial decision.”
Read more: Decision on Jackdaw and Rosebank could be ‘life or death’ in North Sea – Tories
Read more: What is the Rosebank oil project and why is it controversial?
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said: “We do not comment on speculation”.
Supporters of the gas field argue that it could create up to 3,500 jobs and add £28 billion to the UK economy.
Both sites are owned by a company called Adura, which a joint venture between Shell and another energy firm called Equinor.
Adura says Jackdaw could produce 6% of the UK’s gas output at its peak, although environmental groups put the figure at 2%.
The company said the oil and gas fields "will be among the lowest emissions oil and gas developments in the UK Continental Shelf, itself one of the most highly-regulated and lowest emissions basins anywhere in the world.”
But Friends of the Earth Scotland said the UK Government must not “cave in to fossil fuel company pressure”.
The group warned that the burning of more fossil fuels would worsen extreme climate change-related events such as heatwaves.
Andy Burnham has come under mounting pressure to "stick to the spirit of Labour’s manifesto commitment" and refuse consent for the controversial Jackdaw and Rosebank fields.
The Labour Party made a manifesto commitment in 2024 to refuse new applications for North Sea drilling but to honour existing licenses.
That would cover Jackdaw and Rosebank, the applications for which were already in process when Labour was elected.
A DESNZ spokesperson said: “We do not comment on speculation. The North Sea remains a vital national asset and oil and gas will continue to play an important role in our energy system for decades to come – alongside transitioning to clean power to protect jobs and tackle the climate crisis."