The UK's nascent oil and gas industry has been dealt a significant blow as it prepares to face the incoming Labour administration. Leaked documents reveal that the proposed Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea would create a paltry 27 full-time jobs, far short of the numbers touted by proponents of new drilling. This bombshell is being seized upon by green campaigners who are urging Prime Minister-designate Andy Burnham to block further exploration.
The environmental impact assessment submitted by Adura – a joint venture between Shell and Norway's Equinor – confirms that while the project would support an average of nearly 500 jobs annually, only 27 would be directly related to the Jackdaw site. The majority of these jobs are already accounted for at the Shearwater host installation, which the Jackdaw field will utilise.
Environmental groups, including Greenpeace and Uplift, argue that this limited job creation undermines a key argument used by the fossil fuel industry to lobby for new drilling. Angharad Hopkinson, a campaigner at Greenpeace, notes that the developer's own documents reveal the primary beneficiaries of these projects are not workers, but rather the executives and shareholders of fossil fuel companies.
Tessa Khan, Executive Director of Uplift, warns that it would be a mistake for Prime Minister-designate Burnham to yield to industry demands. She points out that new North Sea drilling will not lead to reduced household energy bills, but instead will primarily enrich the already profitable oil and gas corporations.
The debate around Jackdaw and Rosebank comes as Prime Minister-designate Burnham faces pressure from various sides. The Labour Party manifesto pledged no new oil or gas licences would be issued, yet both projects were already within the licensing system before the last general election. A public consultation on the Jackdaw project concludes on 8 August 2026, with further consultation expected for Rosebank.