The UK government is set to approve the Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea within weeks, letting it start producing gas as soon as this winter. The move marks the first big sign of Andy Burnham's approach to domestic oil and gas, while a decision on the separate Rosebank oilfield will come later.
Fahnbulleh set to greenlight Jackdaw
Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is expected to approve the Jackdaw gasfield roughly 150 miles east of Aberdeen this month, according to people familiar with the matter. A decision on the separate Rosebank oilfield will follow later. The approval would end years of legal and political wrangling and let Jackdaw start producing gas as soon as this winter.
The decision is likely to be fiercely opposed by climate scientists and campaigners, particularly after Britain's summer of heatwaves and wildfires. Tessa Khan, executive director of campaign group Uplift, said "the prime minister needs to listen to scientists' warnings" when it comes to these decisions.
Legal battle and energy security concerns
Both Jackdaw and Rosebank are being developed by Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Equinor. The projects were originally granted development consent by the then Conservative government in 2022 and 2023 respectively, but those decisions were quashed by the Scottish Court of Session in 2025 following a landmark UK Supreme Court ruling in 2024 that found carbon emissions from burning oil and gas had to be taken into account.
Concerns within government over energy security through the winter are contributing to the likely approval, an industry executive in Aberdeen said. Europe is entering winter with its lowest gas stocks on record following disruption to Middle Eastern supplies from the US-Iran war. Gas accounted for 35% of the UK's energy demand in 2025, and Jackdaw at its peak is expected to account for about 6.5% of UK North Sea gas production.
Industry hopes for Rosebank
Industry executives hope the approach will extend to Rosebank, 80 miles north-west of the Shetland Islands, and other planned fields such as Ithaca Energy's Cambo. They have long complained that punitive taxes are driving investment out of the basin. Burnham has indicated he will stick to Labour's 2024 manifesto pledge not to approve exploration in new fields, but Jackdaw's approval would not contradict that pledge because its licence was awarded decades ago.
Rosebank is viewed as a more complicated case since the project is further from being ready. Ithaca Energy, which holds a 20% stake in the project, said in August that Rosebank could become operational in the first half of next year, subject to regulatory approval. Adura said the two projects represent a combined investment of £10.8bn and that it now awaits a government decision.
Source: Financial Times
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