Consultation ending on controversial Rosebank oil field
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- Uplift, the environmental group behind the successful 2024 Court of Session legal challenge, is urging the government to reject the applications, with spokesperson Isobel Reid arguing recent extreme heatwaves and wildfires show more drilling will "wreck the planet."
- Adura CEO Neil McCulloch is countering that fossil fuels will be needed for years and Rosebank is "very, very significant" for jobs in north east Scotland, claiming there is a "balance of advantages" in approval.
- A fresh environmental impact assessment produced by Adura concluded the Rosebank field will generate about 250 million tonnes of greenhouse gases over its lifetime — roughly two-thirds of the UK's total emissions for 2024.
- Rosebank is estimated to contain up to 300 million barrels of oil and will produce approximately 69,000 barrels a day at peak, with most oil shipped to Europe for refining before sale on the open market.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham said a "pragmatic approach" is needed toward domestic oil and gas, telling BBC Five Live: "We won't be able to stop using oil and gas for some time. That's just a fact."
- The final decision rests with regulator Opred and requires approval from Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh; the operator said a relatively quick decision could see the Jackdaw field producing gas by winter.
Why it matters: The 250-million-tonne lifetime emissions figure — roughly two-thirds of UK 2024 totals — gives ministers a concrete climate cost to weigh against Adura's promised jobs and tax revenues in north east Scotland. With Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh holding the final sign-off, the outcome sets a precedent for whether the UK treats new domestic drilling as part of its energy transition or rejects it on climate grounds.
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