Work has halted on the Jackdaw gas field following a legal challenge on climate grounds
The Government has been urged to “end the madness” over the North Sea and approve a controversial gas field that could meet six per cent of UK demand.
Work has halted on the Jackdaw gas field, 150 miles east of Aberdeen, following a legal challenge on climate grounds. A consultation on its future closes today and supporters say it would provide enough domestic gas to heat 1.4 million homes.
But opponents have demanded it remains closed. They say exploiting fossil fuels is incompatible with our obligations to reach Net Zero emissions.
Work at a second field, Rosebank, is also on pause, following a similar climate challenge. A consultation on its future closes next week.
It is Britain’s largest untapped oil field. The decisions on the fields will be seen as a test of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s approach to the disputed issue of domestic oil and gas.
Under Labour, all new exploration licences have been banned. However, both Jackdaw and Rosebank were approved before this ban came into force.
Opposition politicians, unions, the oil and gas industry, and United States President Donald Trump have called on Mr Burnham to grant permission, arguing this would protect jobs and cut household bills. But Labour is split on the issue and many fear watering down environmental commitments could limit the party's ability to tempt back voters who have switched to the Greens since 2024.
Mr Burnham has said he will take a “pragmatic approach” to developing and using North Sea oil and gas. Following a conversation with Mr Trump he said: “There is a resource there. When people are struggling, you can’t ignore that.”
The decisions on the fields will fall to energy secretary Miatta Fahnbuller. She has also pledged “pragmatism” and visited Aberdeen on her first trip since her promotion to the Cabinet.
The Aberdeen & Grampain Chamber of Commerce said there was an “overwhelming” case to approve Jackdaw. Writing in The Scotsman, Chief Executive Russell Borthwick said he hoped the Jackdaw decision would “mark the end of the uncertainty surrounding the UK oil and gas sector”.
He said: “The case for approval is overwhelming. Britain still needs gas, our domestic production is falling faster than demand, and Jackdaw alone could provide more than 6 per cent of UK gas supply at peak production – enough to meet the annual heating needs of 1.4 million homes. If we choose not to produce that gas here, we will simply import more from overseas.”
He argued Jackdaw would support British jobs and the offshore industry while bringing money to the Treasury. It would also improve energy security and send “a clear signal” Britain is serious about both its energy security and its industrial future, he said.
He wrote: “It is time to end the madness of turning our backs on our own energy while paying other countries to produce it for us – at greater cost to our economy, our energy security and the planet.”
David Whitehouse, who leads trade body Offshore Energy UK, said domestic gas had a lower carbon footprint than liquefied natural gas, which needed to be imported, usually from the US. Jackdaw, he told the BBC, would be "one of the lowest emission fields in the world".
He said: "I think we all recognise that we have got to deal with emissions. But the reality is that, on that journey, we are going to need oil and gas. We would argue that while we use oil and gas we should prioritise our own and produce and support our own."
Yet climate campaigners said there should be no more oil and gas exploration, with efforts focused instead on renewables. Ami McCarthy, Head of Politics at Greenpeace UK, said: “Trying to squeeze the last few drops of expensive oil and gas out of the North Sea while the world is reeling from climate impacts is beyond ridiculous. The Government should hold fast on their no new oil and gas commitment. We need true investment in the clean energy industries of the future, which are our only dependable path to good jobs, lower bills, and long-term prosperity.”
Zack Polanski, Leader of the Green Party, said approving Jackdaw and Rosebank would be “a dereliction of duty”. He said: “This has nothing to do with boosting the economy for the people of this country and far more to do with boosting obscene profits for fossil fuel companies and their shareholders.”
A Government spokesman said: “The North Sea remains a vital national asset, supporting jobs, growth and the UK’s energy security. We are clear that oil and gas will continue to play an important role in our energy system for decades to come, alongside renewables, nuclear and other low-carbon technologies. Our focus is on providing stability and supporting North Sea workers and communities as they continue to make a vital contribution to the UK’s economy.”
