Government approves drilling in Jackdaw gasfield in North Sea

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.

Ministers have approved plans to begin drilling in the Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea after months of speculation over the decision.

Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh gave approval for the project on Wednesday, in a move she said will “support the country’s energy security with homegrown gas this winter”.

Prime minister Andy Burnham added the decision will “protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm”, but stressed it would not hinder the government’s targets on renewable energy.

However, the government is facing backlash from environmental campaigners, who have called the decision “deeply disappointing” and warned it would result in “supercharging the climate chaos hitting families here and abroad”.

The decision ends months of speculation about the future of the project , which owner Adura said could deliver around 6 per cent of UK North Sea gas production .

The drilling project is one of two – alongside the Rosebank oil field off Shetland – which were approved by the previous Conservative government.

Both were approved for drilling licences in June 2022, but this was overturned by the Scottish courts after a challenge from environmental campaigners.

Fresh public consultations on the proposals took place this year and closed in August, and the government gave the green light to Jackdaw on Wednesday morning.

A decision on Rosebank, the largest untapped oil field in the North Sea, is being made separately, with energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh saying it will take “a bit longer”.

Prime minister Andy Burnham said the government remained committed to renewable energy but was taking a “pragmatic” approach to the North Sea.

He said: “I welcome the energy secretary’s decision, which will protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm this winter.

“At a time when people are really struggling, it’s right that we look in a responsible way at maximising the existing energy reserves we have in Britain that could help.”

But environmental campaigners criticised the government’s decision, which they said would be “supercharging the climate chaos hitting families here and abroad”.