North Sea Gas Field Awaits Regulator Decision on Production Start

The owners of the Jackdaw gas platform in the North Sea say the project is in final testing and could begin production on 1 October if the regulator grants approval. Adura chief executive Neil McCulloch told BBC News at the field that the development would meet 6% of UK gas needs and provide energy security, employment and tax revenue.

A court ruled last year that the original approvals for Jackdaw and the Rosebank oil field were unlawful because the consenting process did not account for emissions from burning the extracted fuels. Adura submitted a revised environmental impact assessment stating Jackdaw would account for less than 0.02% of annual global greenhouse gases over its lifetime.

Greenpeace UK chief scientist Doug Parr called the assessment self-serving and said approval would be reckless given international climate commitments.

McCulloch said the UK has only about eight days of gas storage and would have limited options during a prolonged period of calm weather that reduces wind and solar output. He added that the field could help avoid shortages this winter and that its contribution to global emissions would be very small.

Production in the North Sea basin has fallen from a 1999 peak of 4.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day to just over one million barrels in 2024. The Energy Transition Institute at Robert Gordon University predicts current policies will lead to about 1,600 offshore job losses per year for the coming decade.

Environmental campaigners argue the projects should be rejected because of record heatwaves this summer, while industry groups and some political figures have called for new developments to maintain supply security.