UK decision on Jackdaw gas development ‘imminent’: Fahnbulleh

A decision by the UK government on whether to approve the Jackdaw offshore natural gas development in the North Sea is "imminent," while a decision on another North Sea oil and gas development, Rosebank, will take longer, the UK's Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Miatta Fahnbulleh said Oct. 14.

"There is a decision [on Jackdaw] that will be imminent," Fahnbulleh said at an event in London. "Rosebank will take a little bit longer."

Delayed development

The prior UK Conservative government approved both Jackdaw and Rosebank.

However, in 2025, the Scottish court ruled that the government consent was invalid because the regulatory approvals process should have taken into account emissions resulting from the consumption of the associated oil and gas.

The court allowed work to continue on both projects but required resubmission of the environmental impact assessments and forbade starting production until the projects were re-approved.

Public consultations for both the Jackdaw and Rosebank developments closed in August.

The two projects are operated by Adura, a joint venture between Shell PLC and Equinor.

The imminent Jackdaw decision comes as UK gas prices hit recent highs amid the sustained disruptions linked to the war in the Middle East. Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed the UK NBP month-ahead gas price at €87.572/megawatt-hour on Oct. 13. The index is at its highest point since December 2022.