Jackdaw, Rosebank fields cut UK gas imports 1‑2%
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- Jackdaw field would displace only about 2% of the UK’s current gas imports, providing just 2% of UK demand over its 9‑12‑year lifetime if none of its gas is exported.
- Rosebank field would reduce UK gas import dependence by roughly 1% on average, as it mainly contains oil for export rather than domestic gas.
- Uplift compiled public‑source data and concluded that new North Sea fields would not lower oil and gas prices or improve the UK’s energy security.
- Ed Miliband faces pressure from the fossil‑fuel industry, Reform UK, trade unions and the Conservatives to approve licences for Jackdaw and Rosebank, which were already in the system before Labour took office.
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero says its priority is a fair, orderly transition in the North Sea that aligns with climate and legal obligations, emphasizing a clean‑energy future over new fossil‑fuel production.
- Adura Energy, owner of Jackdaw, has been asked by the North Sea regulator to answer further greenhouse‑gas‑emissions questions, a process that could take weeks and delay any decision.
- Rachel Reeves previously supported drilling but at the recent G7 energy meeting stressed renewable power as the solution to recurring oil crises, highlighting a split in government stance.
Why it matters: The negligible 1‑2 % reduction means the UK will remain reliant on imported gas, limiting any short‑term energy‑security gains from the projects while still exposing the country to volatile global markets. It also undercuts climate‑policy goals, as the fields would add fossil‑fuel production without meaningfully lowering emissions or bills.
