The British government is facing a decision on whether to approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is under pressure from both the oil and gas industry and unions, as well as environmental groups.
Although the fields already have licences granted by the previous Conservative government in 2022 and 2023, Edinburgh’s court of session ruled last year that the environmental impact assessments relied upon were unlawful. The court found that the Conservative government had failed to include emissions generated when the oil and gas from the fields is burned. While work was allowed to continue, a new assessment and re-approval are required.
The new energy and climate secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, is now tasked with determining if the additional information regarding the fields' global emissions changes the basis for consent.
Jackdaw is described as a small gas field with an 11-year production life, generating around 24m tonnes of carbon emissions. Its gas would be consumed domestically, potentially displacing imported liquified natural gas (LNG).
In contrast, Rosebank is a large oil field with a 25-year life, expected to generate around 250m tonnes of carbon emissions. Its oil would be sent to the Netherlands for refining, with little to no oil likely to be used in the UK.