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Energy secretary signals Rosebank oilfield likely to be rejected after Jackdaw gets go-ahead

Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is reportedly minded to reject the giant Rosebank oilfield after approving Jackdaw.

By James Calloway · · 1 min read

An offshore oil platform on the horizon in the North Sea off Scotland
Photo: NAC, via Wikimedia Commons

Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is “minded” not to approve the giant Rosebank oilfield, officials have told The Guardian, in a move that would be a heavy blow to the North Sea energy industry.

The signal came within hours of Fahnbulleh approving drilling at the Jackdaw gasfield off Aberdeen on Wednesday — the UK’s first new gas field in almost a decade — which President Trump praised, urging Britain to go “full blast”.

Ministers have signalled they are unlikely to approve a second new field amid concerns it would breach the UK’s climate commitments. Officials estimate Rosebank would emit about seven times the carbon of Jackdaw, set to supply 6 per cent of North Sea gas at peak.

Fahnbulleh drew a distinction between the schemes. “One is a gasfield that caters for the domestic market, while the other is an oilfield that is mainly for export,” she told The Guardian, adding that each application must be judged on its own merits and any decision must be consistent with the UK’s climate obligations and carbon budgets.

No final decision has been taken and a ruling is expected later this year. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero dismissed the reporting as speculation.

Rosebank, about 80 miles north-west of Shetland, is believed to hold 300–500 million barrels of oil. It is operated by Adura, an Equinor–Shell joint venture, with Ithaca Energy holding 20%; Ithaca chair Yaniv Friedman told the FT the firm would likely halt further UK investment without approval.

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