The UK oil and gas industry has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to approve two major North Sea developments as the government considers their future.
Rosebank, the UK’s largest undeveloped oilfield, and Jackdaw, a major gasfield, are awaiting formal decisions after previous approvals were overturned by Scottish courts.
The projects were originally approved by the Conservative government in 2023, but regulators must now reconsider them after courts ruled that their climate impact assessments were unlawful.
Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), the industry body, argues that domestic production would support energy security, jobs and tax revenues while reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels.
OEUK's claim is that oil and gas still meet around 75% of the UK’s total energy demand, despite the rapid expansion of renewable power.
Both Rosebank and Jackdaw, developed by Shell and Equinor through their Adura joint venture, already hold licences but still require government consent to proceed with development.
Adura has described the fields as nationally significant projects that could support investment and supply-chain activity.
Environmental groups Greenpeace and Uplift oppose the developments, arguing that new fossil fuel production would undermine the UK’s climate commitments and have little effect on household energy bills.
More than 50 climate scientists have also urged Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh to reject the projects, warning that approving new oil and gas fields conflicts with the evidence on limiting global warming.
The government’s decision will test Labour’s approach to North Sea production after its 2024 manifesto ruled out new exploration licences while protecting existing ones.