Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said a government decision on the Jackdaw gas field east of Aberdeen is “imminent” after officials completed their review, the clearest timetable yet for a North Sea project that has been tied up in court battles over climate accounting.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the House of Commons on Wednesday that rulings on Jackdaw and the larger Rosebank oil field off Shetland would be announced “shortly,” arguing the previous Conservative government left licensing processes in disarray after judges struck down approvals for failing to count emissions from burning extracted fuel. Burnham has promised a pragmatic approach that honours existing licences without issuing new ones, a line that puts both fields at the centre of Labour’s energy-security test.
What Jackdaw is and why it stalled
Shell’s Jackdaw development targets gas in the central North Sea, with pipelines planned to tie into UK processing infrastructure. The Conservative administration granted consent in 2022, alongside Rosebank, triggering legal challenges from environmental groups who said impact assessments ignored downstream combustion emissions.
Scotland’s Court of Session ruled last year that both approvals were unlawful because ministers did not adequately weigh the climate effects of burning oil and gas produced at the sites. The decision forced Whitehall to rebuild its decision papers rather than simply reissue the same licences, delaying investment timelines for operators and unions that argue domestic gas reduces import dependence.
Fahnbulleh’s conference signal
Speaking at the Energy UK annual conference, Fahnbulleh said her department had “gone through” the Jackdaw evidence pack and was ready to decide. She indicated Rosebank would take longer, reflecting the scale of the Shetland project and the volume of supplementary environmental material filed after the court ruling.
Industry lobbyists have pressed for clarity before winter demand peaks, noting that UK North Sea output has declined for years even as electricity generators still rely on gas for balancing renewables. Climate campaigners counter that approving Jackdaw would undermine the UK’s legally binding carbon budgets and send mixed signals weeks before Burnham hosts international partners for clean-energy talks.
Political pressures on Burnham
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative MPs challenged Burnham to explain delays, accusing Labour of hiding behind court remediation. Burnham replied that he inherited a “mess” on oil and gas permitting and would not rush a decision that could be challenged again on procedural grounds.
Scottish National Party MPs have urged maximum economic recovery from remaining fields while demanding stronger community benefit packages. The Liberal Democrats and Green-aligned groups want both projects refused, arguing that new extraction is incompatible with the UK’s 2030 power-sector decarbonisation goals.
What happens after a verdict
If Jackdaw is approved with revised climate statements, Shell could move toward final investment subject to any further judicial review applications. A refusal would push more supply planning toward LNG imports, at a time when European gas prices remain sensitive to Middle East shipping disruptions.
Officials have not published the exact announcement date. Fahnbulleh’s “imminent” language nonetheless sets expectations that Aberdeen contractors and environmental litigants could be back in court or on construction yards within weeks, making Jackdaw the first major energy permit call of Burnham’s premiership.