Britain has approved the long-delayed Jackdaw gas development in the North Sea, backing additional domestic supply as it faces pressure over energy costs and climate policy. According to a Reuters report published by gCaptain, energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said the field would start delivering gas by the end of the month, following years of political disputes and legal challenges.
The government estimates that Jackdaw will lift domestic gas production by around 6% at its peak and remain operational for up to 11 years. Planned peak output is 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day. Reuters calculations using government figures put that at slightly less than 4% of Britain's daily gas consumption, distinguishing the project's contribution to national demand from its share of domestic production.
The approval comes as energy price increases during the Iran war have put pressure on households, businesses and the wider British economy, the report said. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office in July, has faced competing demands to address rising bills and reduce fossil fuel use. US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly pressed Burnham to expand North Sea drilling, welcomed the decision.
Alongside the approval, ministers announced an Energy Wealth Fund with an initial investment of £2 billion to direct oil and gas revenues towards cleaner energy. Fahnbulleh maintained that bringing Jackdaw into service was consistent with Britain's legally binding goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The announcement followed the country's hottest summer on record.
Fahnbulleh said no decision had yet been taken on Rosebank, a larger development expected to produce 70,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, mainly oil. Both projects required revised applications after successful court challenges by climate campaigners forced consideration of emissions from burning their output, rather than extraction alone. She distinguished Jackdaw's supply to British gas users from Rosebank's predominantly export-oriented oil production.
Jackdaw is operated by Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Norway's Equinor. Shell welcomed the approval and stressed the importance of stable investment conditions and predictable regulation. The report noted that even developing both fields would make little difference to the North Sea basin's long-term production decline.