Key facts
- Jackdaw gas field approved by UK government on October 21, 2026.
- Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Equinor, owns the Jackdaw field.
- The field is located 240 km east of Aberdeen, Scotland.
- Environmental approval was previously rescinded in 2022 due to unaddressed carbon emissions.
- The UK energy secretary stated Jackdaw will create 27 jobs and secure 273 jobs.
- A new energy wealth fund will be launched with a £2 billion down payment.
The United Kingdom government has approved the development of the Jackdaw North Sea gas field on October 21, 2026, following years of legal challenges and political uncertainty. The field, owned by Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Equinor, had its environmental approval rescinded in 2022 after a ruling that required accounting for the carbon emissions from burning the produced fossil fuels.
Despite the Labour Party's previous vow to ban new North Sea drilling licenses, Prime Minister Andy Burnham granted renewed consent, citing the need to utilize domestic energy reserves pragmatically. Adura estimates that rejecting North Sea developments could cost the UK economy nearly £10.8 billion over the next decade.
Environmental groups, however, argue that Jackdaw will only meet a small fraction of the UK's gas demand and is incompatible with climate targets. The energy secretary stated the project will create 27 jobs and secure 273, while also announcing a new £2 billion energy wealth fund to reinvest oil and gas revenues into the climate transition.