Britain awaits Jackdaw approval to supply about 6% of North Sea gas output
Key Facts
Sky News reported that British Energy Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh was expected to approve development of the Jackdaw gas field on Wednesday, putting the project back on track for consent after earlier approvals were overturned. Adura estimates that, once operational, the field could supply about 6% of projected gas production in the British North Sea. Shell said the project's output would be equivalent to the fuel needed to heat 1.4 million British homes. The application for fresh approval follows a ruling that earlier consents were unlawful because they failed to assess emissions from burning the fuel produced. Sky News reported that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero declined to comment on the expected approval.
Shell said in a statement on the project's legal proceedings that it had spent more than 800 million pounds since Jackdaw received regulatory approval in 2022. It added in its statement: "We have spent more than 800 million pounds since the regulator approved Jackdaw in 2022." The field is part of Adura's portfolio, which also includes the Rosebank project, according to Shell's statement announcing the company's formation. Shell holds a 50% stake in Adura, matching Equinor's 50% stake. Both projects therefore sit within the portfolio of the joint venture owned equally by the energy groups, while each remains subject to its own decision process.
On project execution, Adura announced the completion of drilling in early 2026, after the pipeline was laid in July 2024, according to Shell. The development design includes 4 wells connected to the Shearwater hub through a 31-kilometre pipeline. The route carrying gas ashore relies on existing infrastructure, according to Adura's project description. The gas will reach St Fergus in Aberdeenshire, the landfall point for the field's output. The development plan thus connects Jackdaw's wells to the offshore Shearwater hub and then to the existing supply route to the British coast.
The review of the approvals stems from a court ruling addressing the environmental impact of using oil and gas after extraction. The Scottish court said the earlier approvals "did not take into account the impact of downstream emissions", meaning those generated by burning the fuel produced. The omission of that assessment rendered the approvals unlawful, requiring a fresh decision on the development. The ruling suspended the effect of quashing the approvals pending the new decision, while prohibiting oil or gas extraction from the sites concerned. The ruling stipulated that "no oil or gas may be extracted from the sites during the suspension period".
On the regulatory front, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero issued new environmental impact assessment guidance on 19 June 2025. The guidance allowed offshore developers to resume submitting applications for consent to develop already licensed oil and gas fields. The department said developers "will now be able to submit applications for consent to develop already licensed oil and gas fields". This process came against the backdrop of the Labour Party's pledge in its 2024 election manifesto not to issue new oil and gas licences in the North Sea. Meanwhile, critics of expanded drilling argue that its impact on energy bills would be limited because prices are set in international markets, according to the Associated Press.
Adura announced that the public consultation period for Jackdaw ended at midnight on 10 August 2026 as part of the application process for fresh approval. The expected decision on the field follows that consultation stage and the issuance of the government's environmental guidance. As for Rosebank, which is also part of Adura's portfolio, the energy minister said a decision would take "a little longer", according to coverage by ITV and the Press Association. The minister's remarks indicate that a decision on Rosebank will be issued separately from Jackdaw's. Jackdaw's next milestone remains the decision expected on Wednesday, according to Sky News, on whether to grant the project fresh approval.