Shell develops the UK North Sea Jackdaw gas field after receiving official approval.

This move marks a shift in UK government policy compared with last year, when the UK oil and gas industry faced a bleak outlook as the government focused on hosting the COP26 climate negotiations. However, with energy prices surging due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the UK is now seeking ways to keep domestic oil and gas resources flowing. In a new environmental statement submitted in March, Shell said it would reduce emissions and modify the processing methods for the Jackdaw gas field to lower the project’s overall emissions. According to a letter dated May 27, the UK’s Offshore Petroleum Environmental and Decommissioning Regulator approved the project, stating it would “have no significant impact on the environment.” Shell welcomed the news, saying its plan is “to continue advancing the project at a time of urgent need for UK energy security—where it could produce 6.5% of the UK’s natural gas output.” “The Jackdaw gas field was originally licensed in the 1970s and has now received final regulatory approval. We are turbocharging investment in renewables and nuclear, but we are also being realistic about our current energy needs. Let’s get more of the gas we need from UK waters to protect our energy security.” — Kwasi Kwarteng (@KwasiKwarteng), June 1, 2022 In recent years, new oil and gas projects in the UK North Sea have declined, as investors urge the industry to rein in spending and environmental campaigners pressure it to address climate change.

The UK plans to open new oil and gas fields; experts issue warnings.

Asia Pacific Daily, Hu Ningyou Climate experts and international diplomatic figures from multiple countries have recently issued stern warnings: if the UK government approves new oil and gas extraction fields in the North Sea, it will trigger severe global repercussions—not only directly jeopardizing the achievement of global climate goals, but also undermining the UK’s long-established climate leadership and setting a negative precedent for fossil fuel extraction in developing countries. Currently, the UK government faces intense pressure from numerous quarters—including the oil industry, the Conservative Party, Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, certain trade unions, and relevant departments such as the Treasury—all urging the government to greenlight new North Sea oil and gas field development projects. Yet clear research evidence shows that opening new North Sea oil and gas fields would neither lower domestic energy prices nor meaningfully reduce the UK’s oil and gas imports. It is understood that North Sea hydrocarbon resource development has entered its terminal phase, with over 90% of total resources already depleted. The cost of extracting remaining unexploited blocks continues to rise, and energy consumption during extraction is also steadily increasing. At present, only two large-scale oil and gas fields remain in the North Sea—the Rosebank field and the Jackdaw gas field—both currently undergoing licensing approval. Relevant research data indicate that even if both fields were fully developed, their combined output would replace only 1% and 2%, respectively, of the UK’s natural gas imports—offering negligible relief to domestic energy supply pressures. Senior international climate diplomacy officials explicitly state that, at this critical juncture—when the world is vigorously advancing greenhouse gas emission reductions and phasing out fossil fuels—new UK oil and gas drilling poses grave risks to the global climate governance process. Lord Nicholas Stern, Professor at the London School of Economics and a leading authority on climate change, bluntly stated that the UK’s expansion of oil and gas extraction and slowdown in climate action harms neither its own economic growth nor its energy security—and worse, sends a destructive signal globally. He emphasized that, as the first G7 country to commit to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, the UK has long been a global pioneer in climate action thanks to its robust climate legislation and proactive international climate cooperation. Its policy shifts attract worldwide attention; once it opens the floodgates to new oil and gas extraction, its climate leadership example will be utterly shattered. An African senior climate negotiator, who requested anonymity, expressed strong outrage, stating unequivocally that African countries will firmly oppose any UK proposal to expand oil drilling—a move that fundamentally violates both the text and core spirit of the Paris Agreement and severely erodes climate-vulnerable nations’ trust in the UK.

UK approves long-delayed Jackdaw gas field

23 hours ago

The UK approved the Jackdaw North Sea gas field, boosting domestic production by 6% to enhance energy security. Run by Shell and Equinor, the project begins supply soon alongside a new £2 billion Energy Wealth Fund.

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UK approves long-delayed Jackdaw gas field

UK approves long-delayed Jackdaw gas field

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