Government approves drilling in Jackdaw gas field in North Sea

Ministers have approved plans to begin drilling in the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea after months of speculation over the decision.

Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh gave approval for the project on Wednesday, in a move she said will “support the country’s energy security with homegrown gas this winter”.

Prime minister Andy Burnham added the decision will “protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm”, but stressed it would not hinder the government’s targets on renewable energy.

However, the government is facing backlash from environmental campaigners, who have called the decision “deeply disappointing” and warned it would result in “supercharging the climate chaos hitting families here and abroad”.

The decision ends months of speculation about the future of the project, which owner Adura said could deliver around 6 per cent of UK North Sea gas production.

The drilling project is one of two – alongside the Rosebank oil field off Shetland – which were approved by the previous Conservative government.

Both were approved for drilling licences in June 2022, but this was overturned by the Scottish courts after a challenge from environmental campaigners.

Fresh public consultations on the proposals took place this year and closed in August, and the government gave the green light to Jackdaw on Wednesday morning.

A decision on Rosebank, the largest untapped oil field in the North Sea, is being made separately, with energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh saying it will take “a bit longer”.

Prime minister Andy Burnham said the government remained committed to renewable energy but was taking a “pragmatic” approach to the North Sea.

He said: “I welcome the energy secretary’s decision, which will protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm this winter.

“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.”

But environmental campaigners criticised the government’s decision, which they said would “supercharging the climate chaos hitting families here and abroad”.

Ami McCarthy, head of politics for Greenpeace UK, said: “Approving Jackdaw shows the toxic grip fossil fuel lobbyists still hold over our energy policy.

“Andy Burnham promised pragmatism, but there is nothing pragmatic about rubber-stamping a project that won’t lower energy bills, won’t boost energy security and will create just 27 full-time jobs.”

Mr Burnham has faced pressure from environmental groups to “stick to the spirit of Labour’s manifesto commitment” and refuse consent for either of the schemes.

The 2024 manifesto committed to issuing no new oil and gas licences for the North Sea.

However, proponents of Jackdaw and Rosebank within the party have argued that neither are new fossil fuel fields, given the wheels were in motion to tap them ahead of Labour coming to power.

Katherine May, head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “The prime minister promised to rise to the climate challenge.

“Instead, he’s folded like a deckchair at the first sign of pressure from an industry whose ballooning bank balances depend on keeping us hooked on fossil fuels.”

Campaigners have urged the government to reject the “even more damaging” Rosebank oil field, which is still awaiting a decision.

The two developments have often been clubbed together after they were both blocked by courts, but Whitehall decisions will be made separately.

Pressure has increased on the government to approve the Rosebank oil field, with the boss of the firm behind the Jackdaw project said approval of the Rosebank oil and gas scheme should now follow.

Adura chief executive Neil McCulloch said: “Our attention now turns to Rosebank. It follows Jackdaw in the regulatory process, but the case for approval is equally strong. We believe that applying the same rigorous, evidence-based approach can lead to a similarly positive decision.”

Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said: “Andy Burnham must now stop dithering and give Rosebank the green light without any further delay.”

Ms Fahnbulleh said it is “much better” to use domestically produced gas than import it, but admitted drilling in the Jackdaw gas field will not bring down bills this winter.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland in the minutes after the decision to green-light the field was announced, she was asked if people will see costs reduced this year.

“No, it won’t,” she said. “I think it’s important to say that upfront.

“But look, the key consideration in coming to this decision was at a time when we are in an energy crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East. Energy security is really important and this will contribute to the homegrown sources of energy that we have.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the length of time it had taken to reach the decision on Jackdaw.

She said Labour spent two years “faffing about to make a decision” which the Conservative government had already approved.

“If they’d done this in the summer we’d have had that gas heating British homes this Christmas,” she said.

“An unnecessary waste of time and money by a party that puts its own interest above the country’s.”