About four years and six energy secretaries after its initial green light, the Jackdaw gasfield is set to receive consent on Wednesday to begin production 150 miles east of Aberdeen. Although Labour vowed not to issue new licences for exploration in the hydrocarbon-rich basin, it committed to honouring licences granted before it came to power — including Jackdaw, licensed in 2022, and the larger Rosebank oilfield. Both projects were previously blocked by a legal challenge from Greenpeace and Uplift, requiring resubmission with additional climate impact data.
Jackdaw is owned and operated by Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Norway’s Equinor, with plans to develop Rosebank alongside Ithaca Energy. A decision on Rosebank’s renewed consent application is expected soon. Despite claims from the Conservatives that domestic drilling could help lower household energy bills, analysts note that UK wholesale gas prices are driven by international markets, making the relatively modest output from Jackdaw unlikely to have a significant impact.
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) notes that while Jackdaw’s gas could release between 23.6m and 35.8m tonnes of CO2 equivalent over its 11-year lifespan, the overall carbon impact remains unclear. Scope 1 and 2 emissions from UK gas are estimated to be four times lower than imports from the US and Gulf, though scope 3 emissions from end-use combustion remain substantial.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing