In a statement sent to Rigzone this week, UK union Unite welcomed the UK government’s decision to green light the Jackdaw gas field.
Unite noted in its statement that it has long called for the development of Jackdaw, “in order to provide energy security and provide time to secure commensurate jobs for North Sea oil and gas workers”.
The union highlighted in its statement that it has a longstanding North Sea campaign – No Ban without a Plan – which argues that the government must not allow a jobless transition for North Sea workers.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said in the statement, “in my conversations with the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, I have been very clear that whilst we of course support net zero, we cannot have a jobless transition, abandon our energy security, or offshore our carbon responsibilities”.
“That is why we have argued for this decision on Jackdaw,” Graham added.
“This gives us a bit more time to create and fund a concrete plan for commensurate jobs for workers currently working in the North Sea,” Graham continued.
“Now we urgently need to use that and invest in industries like wind turbine manufacture and refining green jet fuel. We simply cannot let go of one rope until we have hold of another,” Graham went on to state.
A statement posted on the UK government website on Wednesday revealed that UK Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh had greenlit the Jackdaw gas field. Jackdaw’s consent came as the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healy, announced a new Energy Wealth Fund, which the statement said will use tax revenues from North Sea oil and gas to invest in renewable and low carbon energy projects and “support the green transition”.
The UK government highlighted in the statement that it “remains committed to the green transition and net zero” but noted that, “even on the path to net zero, the UK will still require oil and gas as part of our energy needs for decades to come”. Fahnbulleh pointed out in the statement that the Jackdaw project will not prevent the UK from being able to meet its legally binding limits on carbon emissions and achieve net-zero by 2050.
Industry Reaction
In a statement sent to Rigzone yesterday, industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) said the green light for the GBP 2.1 billion ($2.8 billion) Jackdaw gas project “is a first step towards unlocking GBP 50 billion [$66.9 billion] of investment in new North Sea oil and gas production to help meet UK demand”.
OEUK CEO David Whitehouse said in the statement, “we want the UK government to support domestic production over imports, and approval of Jackdaw is a step in that direction”.
In a speech at the launch of OEUK’s 2026 Economic Report to an audience of 300 energy industry specialists in Aberdeen last month, Whitehouse said, “there is a legitimate debate about the pace and pathway to net zero” but added that “there should be no debate about the destination”.
“Equally, those who argue that climate leadership means shutting down domestic production before demand has fallen are wrong,” he pointed out.
In another statement sent to Rigzone this week, Sandy Bonner, President, Bilfinger Western Europe, said the decision on Jackdaw “is a pragmatic one”, adding that the company “welcome[s] it”.
“The UK will need gas for years to come, and producing more of it here, rather than importing it, strengthens our energy security at a time of real global uncertainty,” Bonner noted.
“In Aberdeen, the decision is also about people. Our offshore business started in Aberdeen more than fifty years ago, and we’ve seen first-hand how much the region’s skilled offshore workforce depends on long-term confidence in the basin,” Bonner added.
“Those same engineers and skilled technicians are the people we will rely on to build out offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and the wider low-carbon system,” Bonner continued.
The Bilfinger representative went on to state that “we don’t see this as a choice between oil and gas and renewables”.
“A secure, affordable transition needs both, managed in step. What the sector needs now is a stable, long-term policy framework, so that businesses can keep investing in people and skills for the decades ahead,” Bonner added.
In a press note sent to Rigzone on Wednesday, Wood Mackenzie said its analysis shows that the Jackdaw field consent is “correct for UK climate targets and the economy”.
A spokesperson for UK headquartered global petrochemicals manufacturer INEOS said in a statement sent to Rigzone yesterday that Jackdaw approval was welcome but added that the government “must stop taxing the North Sea into decline”. Rigzone previously contacted HM Treasury and the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for comment on INEOS’ statement but did not receive a reply from either regarding this request.
In a statement posted on his X page on Wednesday, UK Green Party Leader Zack Polanski criticized the UK government’s approval of Jackdaw.
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