Rosebank and Jackdaw decision looms as consultation closes
Public consultation on Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields has closed, leaving PM Andy Burnham to decide whether to approve the projects.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The public consultation on the Rosebank oilfield, Britain's largest undeveloped oil field, closed today, bringing the UK government a step closer to a final decision on whether to allow the project to go ahead. The decision also covers the Jackdaw gas field, and both have become a test of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's approach to energy policy, the economy, and the environment.
Rosebank, located about 80 miles west of Shetland, and Jackdaw, a large gas field 150 miles east of Aberdeen, were both approved by the previous Conservative government. But those approvals were quashed after a legal challenge, which argued that the environmental impact of burning the fossil fuels had not been properly considered. The new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has left open the possibility of granting approval, and the final call will be made by the new Energy Secretary in the coming weeks.
Supporters of the projects argue that they will create jobs, generate tax revenue, and improve the UK's energy security. The company behind both fields says they will produce less planet-warming gases than importing energy from abroad, and that the projects represent a gross value add of 29 billion pounds. North Sea workers, many of whom are worried about the future, see the projects as a lifeline for the industry and for communities like Aberdeen, which has long depended on oil and gas.
Opponents, including environmental groups and some scientists, say the case for rejecting the projects has grown stronger after a summer of heatwaves and wildfires across Europe. They argue that the UK should focus on accelerating the transition to clean energy rather than extracting more fossil fuels. More than 200 musicians, including Brian Eno and Thom Yorke, have written to the Prime Minister urging him to reject the plans. Climate campaigners also point out that most of the oil from Rosebank would be exported, so it would not reduce UK energy bills, and that energy security is better served by reducing dependence on fossil fuels altogether.
The political context is fraught. President Trump has said he believes Mr Burnham will open up the North Sea, a move he claims would make the UK rich. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has said the UK will not be able to stop using oil and gas for some time, and that the question is how to accelerate the transition while maintaining jobs and economic activity. On Newsnight, green energy businessman and Labour donor Dale Vince, who had previously opposed new drilling, said he could support the projects if the government introduced price controls on North Sea energy, a proposal he argues could save 10 billion pounds a year.
The decision is expected within weeks. It will affect thousands of jobs, economic growth, national energy security, and the UK's climate commitments. As one BBC analysis put it, the question is not whether the UK will use oil and gas, but where it will come from and where the economic activity and tax revenue will be generated. Simon Jack, the BBC's business editor, said there is a high likelihood that both projects will be approved.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC News Signed | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Jack predicts a high likelihood of approval. | · | · | · | · | |||
| The company behind both projects says they will create jobs, generate tax revenue, and produce fewer planet-warming gases than importing energy. | · | · | · | · | |||
| The previous energy secretary Claire Catenya approved the drilling, but a High Court ruling stopped it and Labour abandoned the appeal. | · | · | · | · | |||
| The projects could add £29 billion of gross value. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Environmentalists said recent wildfires and heatwaves strengthened the case for rejecting the Rosebank project. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The public consultation on the Rosebank oilfield ends today. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Aberdeen's hospitality sector relies on the oil and gas industry. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Andy Burnham left open the possibility of granting approval for Rosebank and Jackdaw. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Andy Burnham suggested approving the fields might advance the transition to cleaner fuels. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Climate campaigners said more drilling would not reduce energy bills because most of the oil would be exported. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Dale Vince suggested price controls could save £10 billion a year. | · | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Dale Vince suggested that price controls on North Sea energy could make drilling beneficial. | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News focused on the political blame game, criticising Labour and Ed Miliband for blocking North Sea drilling on ideological grounds. The channel argued that domestic production is more environmentally responsible and better for energy security than importing from unstable regions. It also highlighted the need for the new energy secretary to act quickly.
- “We've had two wasted years under Ed Miliband for ideological reasons.”
- “It's far more environmentally responsible for us to actually be drilling in our own waters than to be drilling where actually the environmental standards are probably not as good and then transporting it.”
- “Ed Miliband, because he's ideologically opposed to oil exploration, abandoned the appeal.”
This segment focused on the closure of the consultation and the decision now facing Andy Burnham. It included analysis from Scotland editor James Cook, who explained the Prime Minister's apparent logic that approving the fields could help manage the transition to cleaner fuels by preserving jobs and skills. The tone was balanced, presenting both the economic and climate arguments.
- “Here, the public consultation on the Rosebank oilfield will end today.”
- “Supporters say it would ease pressure on public finances and support jobs in Scotland.”
- “I think the logic of that position, Christian, is that at the moment, more jobs are being lost in the North Sea, and by the North Sea, I mean the wider industry in oil and gas than are being created in renewable energy.”
This report offered a comprehensive on-the-ground look at the issue, with James Cook visiting the Jackdaw platform and interviewing the CEO, environmentalists, and workers. It also included analysis from Simon Jack, who predicted a high likelihood of approval. The tone was neutral and explanatory, covering all sides of the debate.
- “Jackdaw and Rosebank are where policy on energy the economy and the environment Collide”
- “The company behind both projects says they'll create jobs generate tax revenue and Produce less planet warming gases than importing energy from abroad”
- “If I had to guess I don't know what they're going to I would say there's a high likelihood that both of these things Will be approved”
This is the same report as BBC ONE West, presented with sign language interpretation. The content and framing are identical, focusing on the consultation closure, the arguments for and against, and the likely decision.
- “Jackdaw and Rosebank are where policy on energy the economy and the environment Collide”
- “The company behind both projects says they'll create jobs generate tax revenue and Produce less planet warming gases than importing energy from abroad”
- “If I had to guess I don't know what they're going to I would say there's a high likelihood that both of these things Will be approved”
This is a shorter version of the same James Cook report, focusing on the consultation closure and the key arguments. It omits the Simon Jack analysis but retains the on-the-ground reporting from the Jackdaw platform and the views of workers and environmentalists.
- “Jackdaw and Rosebank are where policy on energy the economy and the environment Collide”
- “The company behind both projects says they'll create jobs generate tax revenue and Produce less planet warming gases than importing energy from abroad”
- “We should be going for renewables. Yes, climate change is happening and we should be doing things about it But oil and gas still have a massive use In our daily lives”
Newsnight took a political and analytical angle, featuring a discussion with green energy businessman Dale Vince, who proposed price controls on North Sea energy as a way to make drilling beneficial. The programme also highlighted President Trump's claim that Burnham would open up the North Sea. The tone was more opinion-led and focused on the political strategy behind the decision.
- “After a summer of heat waves and wildfires, Andy Burnham's energy dilemma is even more uncomfortable.”
- “President Trump said tonight he believed the PM would open up North Sea oil and gas.”
- “If we price control the North Sea, we can actually save money and that makes more sense of the North Sea and it would make more sense of Jackdaw and Rosebank.”
Channel 4 focused on the climate and environmental implications, featuring interviews with a climate researcher and a former COP26 advisor. The tone was critical of new drilling, arguing that the UK should move away from oil and gas dependency. It also highlighted the political backlash the PM could face from his own party and the public.
- “The 8.7 billion pound Rosebank project located around 80 miles northwest of the Shetland Islands is seeking approval alongside the Jackdaw gas field off Aberdeen.”
- “I think so, especially in these times right now. I mean, anyone can walk out of more or less their front door and see the parched landscape that we're living in.”
- “What we really need to be focused on is how do we move off that dependency on oil and gas?”
5 News reported from Aberdeen, giving a local perspective on the impact of the decision. It included interviews with a restaurant owner, climate campaigners, and a Conservative spokesperson. The tone was balanced, presenting both the economic reliance on oil and gas and the climate arguments against further drilling.
- “Aberdeen's built around oil and gas so obviously our hospitality sector it relies on what's happening in the city”
- “I don't see the argument Energy security for us going forward is about getting rid of our dependence on fossil fuels”
- “So what we're saying is get what we can out of the North Sea Maximize the economic potential of that basin to ensure that the gas that we're using actually is generating revenue for the British Treasury is Saving high skilled British jobs and is making us more energy secure because we'd be less reliant on imports”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.