Jackdaw Approval Sparks Fierce Debate Over Britain’s Energy Future | OilPrice.com
Felicity Bradstock
Felicity Bradstock is a writer and journalist based in Mexico City. She writes for energy websites and covers several other industries, as well as writing…
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By Felicity Bradstock – Oct 31, 2026, 2:00 PM CDT
- The UK approved the Jackdaw gas field to increase domestic gas production, strengthen energy security and safeguard hundreds of jobs.
- Environmental campaigners argue the project offers limited economic benefits while undermining Britain’s climate commitments.
- The decision raises questions about the government’s North Sea energy policy as the larger Rosebank oilfield awaits approval.
The United Kingdom approved the development of the Jackdaw North Sea gas field on the 21st of October following years of legal battles and political uncertainty. Jackdaw is a large offshore natural gas field in the North Sea, owned by Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Equinor, since 2025, located around 240 km east of Aberdeen in Scotland.
The field was approved by the U.K. government in 2022, but the development was challenged in Scotland’s Court of Session in Edinburgh, and environmental approval was rescinded after a judge ruled that the operators needed to account for the carbon emissions from burning the oil and gas they produce, which left it in limbo for several years.
When the Labour Party won the general election in 2024, it vowed to ban new drilling licences in the North Sea. However, because Jackdaw had previously been approved, it was uncertain whether it would fall under the “new license” category. When Andy Burnham took over the Labour government in July, many questioned whether he would grant renewed consent to the controversial Jackdaw gas field and the Rosebank oil project, which is being assessed separately.
Jackdaw’s operators resubmitted applications for environmental approval earlier this year and, in October, Labour approved its development. Upon approval, the Prime Minister said he believed that drilling in the Jackdaw gas field will “protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm this winter”.
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Burnham added, “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. That’s why we’re taking a pragmatic approach to the North Sea.”
Adura commissioned a report, which warned that rejecting the Jackdaw and other North Sea developments would cost the U.K. economy almost £10.8 billion over the next decade. Some advocates suggest that as the U.K. is expected to continue relying on gas as a “transition fuel” for several more years, it makes sense to produce it domestically rather than rely on foreign imports. They argue that this has become increasingly evident amid global shortages stemming from restrictions on energy trade through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
In Aberdeen, where disposable income contracted by almost 20 per cent from 2013 to 2023, many oil and gas workers see the project as a saviour, allowing them to keep their jobs for as long as possible. However, the U.K. energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, has herself admitted that Jackdaw will create just 27 jobs and secure 273 jobs, which is not the impressive figure that many supporters of the project have suggested.
Fahnbulleh announced that the government plans to launch a new energy wealth fund with a £2 billion down payment to reinvest oil and gas revenues in the climate transition in a bid to show that approving new fossil fuel projects is not at odds with the country’s climate commitments.
While several proponents of Jackdaw celebrate the approval, many environmental groups and Labour supporters are less optimistic. Tessa Khan, the executive director of the anti-oil campaign group Uplift, stated, “Jackdaw will provide around just 2 per cent of our gas demand for roughly 10 years. It has been oversold and won’t stop the overall decline in North Sea jobs as it will be largely unmanned and operated remotely.” She added, “Labour’s climate credibility is on the line. No new oil and gas fields are compatible with safe climate limits.”
A recent Savanta poll for the climate group E3G found that almost one-third of voters would be less likely to vote Labour if it approves more North Sea oil drilling. However, estimates of Jackdaw’s contribution to UK energy supplies vary depending on how they are measured. While Khan suggests Jackdaw will meet around 2 per cent of total UK gas demand over roughly a decade, government estimates indicate the field could boost domestic gas production by approximately 6 per cent at its peak. Meanwhile, Adura estimates that Jackdaw and Rosebank combined could account for around 10 per cent of domestic gas production and 10 per cent of UK Continental Shelf oil output at peak production. These figures refer to different measures and are therefore not directly contradictory. Regardless, environmental campaigners argue that the climate damage associated with new drilling will outweigh any economic benefits.
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Meanwhile, Green Party leader Zack Polanski called the approval “climate vandalism”. Polanski said, “Today’s decision by Labour is a betrayal of all of our futures. Labour has abandoned all credibility in the fight against climate change… The energy secretary has herself said it will make no difference to energy bills.”
Although Jackdaw has been approved, this does not mean the Rosebank will automatically be permitted to proceed. In mid-October, sources told the Guardian newspaper that Fahnbulleh is minded to reject the giant Rosebank oilfield, as the rationale behind Jackdaw did not apply to Rosebank.
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