The UK government is expected to announce approval of the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea on Wednesday morning, with Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh set to address Parliament that afternoon, according to multiple Whitehall sources who spoke to BBC News.
The Jackdaw platform sits about 150 miles east of Aberdeen. Operators say the gas field could connect to the UK network within months. A decision on the separate Rosebank oil field, located 80 miles northwest of Shetland and Britain's largest untapped oil reserve, is not expected at this time, sources indicated.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has repeatedly advocated for a "flexible" approach to energy and backs additional drilling at sites where licences already exist in the North Sea. Labour's 2024 manifesto pledged not to issue new oil and gas licences in the North Sea but committed to honouring existing ones including Jackdaw.
The Conservative government granted licences for both fields in 2022 and 2023. Environmental groups challenged the approvals in court. The Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled last year that Rosebank and Jackdaw had been unlawfully approved because the government failed to account for the climate impact of burning extracted oil and gas.
Environmentalists argue that starting production would hamper efforts to cut planet-warming carbon emissions as deadly heatwaves and extreme weather affect people globally. They contend that transitioning sooner to renewable technologies would better support jobs and protect energy security than new drilling.
Industry bodies counter that production at these sites will create jobs and strengthen UK energy security as overseas conflicts threaten supply chains.
The decision on both fields has been delayed for several months and has become highly politically significant. Years of debate, legal proceedings and public consultations preceded the government's announcement.