UK government expected to approve Jackdaw gas field as Rosebank decision deferred

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh set to address MPs after Wednesday announcement

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

Updated20 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources6 outlets

The UK government is expected to approve the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea in an announcement due on Wednesday, while a decision on the much larger Rosebank oil field off Shetland is expected to be put off, multiple Whitehall sources have told BBC News.

The UK government is expected to announce a long-awaited decision on the Jackdaw gas field on Wednesday morning, with approval widely believed to be the outcome in Westminster.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is expected to address MPs in the afternoon. It is widely believed that Jackdaw will be approved but that a decision on the Rosebank oil field will not yet be made.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has spoken repeatedly of the need for a "flexible" approach to energy and is believed to favour drilling more where licensing already exists in the North Sea. Labour's 2024 manifesto pledged not to issue any new oil and gas licences in the North Sea but to honour existing ones such as Jackdaw.

Jackdaw, about 150 miles (241km) east of Aberdeen, is a gas field that its operators say could be connected to the UK network within months. Rosebank, about 80 miles (129km) north-west of Shetland, is Britain's largest untapped oil field and would also produce some gas.

The controversial fields have been the subject of years of debate, legal wrangling and public consultations, with arguments from industry bodies and environmentalists weighed by the government. Licences for the fields were granted by the Conservative government in 2022 and 2023, which sparked legal challenges from environmental groups.

The Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled last year that Rosebank and Jackdaw had been unlawfully approved because the government had failed to take into account the climate impact of burning extracted oil and gas from the sites.

Environmentalists insist more drilling would be unconscionable and would hamper efforts to cut planet-warming carbon emissions as deadly heatwaves and extreme weather affect people across the globe. They also argue starting production would not protect energy security, and that transitioning sooner to greener technologies would be better for supporting jobs.

Industry bodies argue that starting production at Rosebank and Jackdaw will provide jobs and improve the UK's energy security as overseas conflicts threaten supply.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The decision tests the Labour government's climate promises against its energy security priorities, after a court ruled the fields were unlawfully approved without considering the climate impact of burning the extracted fuel
Operators say Jackdaw could feed the UK gas network within months, making it a near-term question of supply rather than a distant project
The deferred Rosebank decision concerns Britain's largest untapped oil field, and remains the bigger test of the government's approach

Background

North Sea oil and gas have become a central political fault line in the UK. Labour's 2024 manifesto promised no new oil and gas licences in the North Sea but said existing ones would be honoured. Licences for Jackdaw and Rosebank were granted by the Conservative government in 2022 and 2023, drawing legal challenges from environmental groups.

Last year, the Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled the approvals unlawful because the government had not accounted for the climate impact of burning the extracted oil and gas. The government has since spent months weighing industry arguments for jobs and energy security against environmental concerns, with both decisions repeatedly delayed.

Key Perspectives

Energy industry: Starting production at Rosebank and Jackdaw will create jobs and improve the UK's energy security as overseas conflicts threaten supply, and Jackdaw could be connected to the network within months.

Environmentalists: More drilling would be unconscionable and would hamper efforts to cut planet-warming emissions. They argue production would not protect energy security, and that a faster transition to greener technologies would better support jobs.

Critics and skeptics: The legal cloud remains. The Court of Session found both approvals unlawful for ignoring downstream emissions, so any new approval that does not address that finding could invite renewed legal challenge.

What to Watch

The Wednesday morning announcement and the Energy Secretary's statement to MPs, which will confirm whether Jackdaw is approved and under what conditions
Whether the decision addresses the court's finding on the climate impact of burning extracted gas
Any signal on the timing of the Rosebank decision, which is expected to be deferred

Sources

UK government to make Jackdaw gas field announcement · BBC Scotland
Jackdaw North Sea gasfield to get go-ahead in blow to climate campaigners · Business | The Guardian
UK government to make Jackdaw gas field announcement · BBC News
North Sea Jackdaw gas field decision expected imminently · STV News
UK government to make Jackdaw gas field announcement · BBC Scotland
Jackdaw North Sea gasfield to get go-ahead in blow to climate campaigners · World news | The Guardian

Checked

10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedThe UK government is expected to approve Jackdaw.BBC Scotland: “It is widely believed in Westminster that Jackdaw will be approved”
SupportedA decision on Rosebank is expected to be put off.BBC Scotland: “It is widely believed in Westminster that Jackdaw will be approved but that a decision on the Rosebank oil field off Shetland will not yet be made.”
Partly supportedEnergy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is set to address MPs after Wednesday’s announcement.BBC Scotland: “Multiple Whitehall sources have told BBC News the government would make an announcement on Jackdaw on Wednesday morning with the Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh expected to address MPs in the afternoon.”
SupportedMultiple Whitehall sources told BBC News the government would announce its Jackdaw decision on Wednesday morning.BBC Scotland: “Multiple Whitehall sources have told BBC News the government would make an announcement on Jackdaw on Wednesday morning”
Not in the sourcesRosebank is much larger than Jackdaw.
SupportedPrime Minister Andy Burnham has repeatedly called for a “flexible” approach to energy and is believed to favour more drilling where North Sea licences already exist.BBC Scotland: “Prime Minister Andy Burnham has spoken repeatedly of the need for a "flexible" approach to energy and is believed to be in favour of drilling more where licensing already exist in the North Sea.”
SupportedLabour’s 2024 manifesto pledged not to issue new North Sea oil and gas licences but to honour existing ones such as Jackdaw.BBC Scotland: “Labour's 2024 manifesto pledged not to issue any new oil and gas licences in the North Sea but to honour existing ones such as Jackdaw.”
SupportedJackdaw is about 150 miles east of Aberdeen, and Rosebank is about 80 miles north-west of Shetland.BBC Scotland: “Jackdaw, about 150 miles (241.4km) east of Aberdeen”
SupportedRosebank is Britain’s largest untapped oil field and would also produce gas.BBC Scotland: “Rosebank, about 80 miles (128.7km) north-west of Shetland, is Britain's largest untapped oil field, which would also produce some gas.”
SupportedThe Court of Session ruled last year that Rosebank and Jackdaw had been unlawfully approved because the climate impact of burning their oil and gas had not been considered.BBC Scotland: “The Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled last year that Rosebank and Jackdaw had been unlawfully approved because the government had failed to take into account the climate impact of burning extracted oil and gas from the sites.”