UK to approve Jackdaw gas field development this month, Times reports

Britain is expected to give approval on September 15 to bring the Jackdaw gas field online, ending years of legal delays, The Times newspaper reported on Friday, citing government sources.

The decision on the field, which is operated by ‌a joint venture between energy giants Shell and Norway's Equinor, has become increasingly significant for Prime Minister Andy Burnham since he took office in July. Rising energy prices are affecting consumers and businesses, hitting Britain's economy, and U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly urged Burnham to drill the country's North Sea basin to help lower costs.

A spokesperson for the government's ‌energy department said they would not comment on speculation but added that the North Sea "remains a vital national asset". BURNHAM PROMISES A PRAGMATIC APPROACH

Burnham has said he wants ‌to be pragmatic when asked about energy, adding that while oil and gas will remain part of the mix for decades, he is also committed to his party's policy of shifting to clean energy sources. The previous British government approved Jackdaw in 2022, but climate activists launched a legal challenge against it and Rosebank, an oil and gas field. A 2025 ruling blocked the operators from extracting oil or gas ⁠until further ​government consent was granted.

Adura, the Shell and ⁠Equinor joint venture developing both projects, has since reapplied for government approval. In the meantime, some work on the field has continued and much of the infrastructure needed to produce gas has already been built, meaning ⁠it could start producing this winter if approved. ANNOUNCEMENT DUE IN ABERDEEN

The Times said Burnham was expected to announce the Jackdaw decision during a visit to Aberdeen in Scotland where ​he would also announce investment in renewable energy. Friends of the Earth said approving Jackdaw would be "a staggering step backwards".

The Times said on X that an expansion ⁠of Rosebank was considered very unlikely to receive approval, citing government sources, but a decision will not be announced until a later date. North Sea fossil fuel production has declined sharply since its peak in the late ⁠1990s.

Jackdaw ​will have a peak production of 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of natural gas, an Adura spokesperson has said. Rosebank would have peak production of around 70,000 barrels per day of mainly oil if approved.

Neither field is large. In the Norwegian North Sea, the Johan Sverdrup field produces more than 10 times Rosebank's projected ⁠daily output. The opposition Conservative party has argued in favour of developing the basin's resources in the interests of energy security, while unions have also called on Burnham ⁠to approve the projects to help boost energy ⁠jobs.

Jackdaw lies about 150 miles (241 km) off the coast of Aberdeen and could contribute around 6% to British gas supply. Adura said developing both Jackdaw and Rosebank, in which Ithaca Energy holds a stake, would generate £1.4 billion ($1.9 billion) in tax revenues ‌by 2029.

($1 = 0.7405 pounds)