Andy Burnham's government is approaching one of its first major energy and climate decisions as the public-consultation process for the Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea developments reaches its conclusion.
The latest consultation concerning the Jackdaw gas field closed on 10 August. Representations concerning the Rosebank oil and gas project can be submitted until midnight on Monday 17 August.
The Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning will consider the evidence and consultation responses before a ministerial decision is made on whether fresh development consent should be granted.
No final decision has yet been announced for either project.
Why are the projects being reconsidered?
Rosebank and Jackdaw already hold oil and gas licences and were previously granted development approval under the former Conservative government.
However, Scotland's Court of Session ruled in January 2025 that the consents were unlawful because the environmental assessments had not considered the emissions produced when the extracted oil and gas would eventually be burned.
These are commonly described as downstream or Scope 3 emissions and represent most of the eventual greenhouse-gas impact associated with fossil-fuel production.
The previous permissions were quashed, leaving the developers to seek new decisions based on assessments that include those emissions. Preparatory work was allowed to continue, but oil and gas cannot be extracted from the fields without fresh consent.
The present process is therefore not the award of new exploration licences. It concerns whether two already licensed developments should receive the environmental and regulatory consent required to begin production.
Rosebank and Jackdaw
Rosebank lies approximately 130 kilometres north-west of Shetland and is described as the largest undeveloped oil field on the UK Continental Shelf. The proposed development would use subsea wells connected to a floating production, storage and offloading vessel.
Developer Adura says Rosebank could produce approximately 69,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, equivalent to around 10% of the oil then expected to be produced from the UK Continental Shelf.
Jackdaw is a gas and condensate development located approximately 250 kilometres east of Aberdeen. Its wells would be connected to an offshore platform, with production transported through existing infrastructure for processing.
The two projects are now being advanced by Adura, the North Sea business combining assets previously associated with Shell and Equinor.
Industry stresses investment and employment
Adura says the projects would involve combined anticipated investment of £10.8 billion, with more than three-quarters spent in the United Kingdom.
The company estimates that Rosebank and Jackdaw together would support more than 3,500 jobs at the peak of construction and sustain approximately 880 jobs during production. It also projects £28.7 billion in gross value added over their operating lives and £1.4 billion in tax revenue before the expected end of the present Parliament.
Those figures are forecasts produced by the developer and should not be treated as guaranteed outcomes.
Adura also argues that the two developments could together represent approximately 10% of domestic UK gas production at their peak, slowing Britain's increasing reliance upon imported energy.
The company says production emissions from the developments would be lower than the average for many existing or international oil and gas operations.
Campaigners question climate and energy claims
Environmental organisations including Greenpeace and Uplift argue that approving Rosebank and Jackdaw would be incompatible with the UK's climate commitments.
They say assessing only the emissions generated during extraction understates the projects' impact because most emissions arise when the oil and gas are ultimately consumed.
Campaigners also dispute the suggestion that Rosebank would materially reduce household energy bills, noting that oil is traded internationally and that a substantial proportion could be exported. Supporters respond that domestic production still contributes to supply resilience, economic activity and the balance of payments.
More than 50 climate scientists have written to Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh urging her to reject the developments. A separate open letter signed by more than 200 musicians, including Massive Attack, Brian Eno, Olly Alexander and Paris Paloma, has called upon Burnham to block Rosebank.
The letters represent pressure on ministers rather than evidence that the regulatory decision has been predetermined.
Test of Labour's North Sea position
Labour promised not to issue new oil and gas exploration licences. Because Rosebank and Jackdaw were licensed before that commitment, approving their development would not technically require the Government to issue new licences.
Critics nevertheless argue that granting consent would conflict with the purpose of Labour's promise and with Burnham's recent warnings about extreme heat and wildfires.
Supporters of the projects argue that refusing consent would endanger investment, skilled employment and confidence in the North Sea supply chain while Britain continues to consume oil and gas.
The Government says the North Sea will continue to contribute to the country's energy requirements during an orderly transition to cleaner power. Burnham has also indicated that his administration will take a pragmatic approach to existing North Sea proposals.
Decision rests with government
Although the issue is being presented as a defining decision for the Prime Minister, the formal process is being conducted by the offshore environmental regulator and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The department must consider the updated environmental information, consultation submissions and applicable legal and climate obligations. Political responsibility for the outcome will ultimately rest with Burnham's government, but ministers must avoid prejudging the statutory process.
The choice is not simply between supporting jobs and protecting the climate. Ministers will have to assess the scale and duration of the economic benefits, the projects' contribution to domestic energy supply, their full downstream emissions and whether approval is consistent with the UK's legally binding climate framework.
With the two consultations reaching their end, that decision now moves firmly onto the Government's desk.