UK Approves Controversial Jackdaw Gas Project in the North Sea

The UK government has given the green light for the Jackdaw natural gas field development in the North Sea, a major win for the UK's declining offshore oil and gas industry. Once online, Jackdaw will provide about two percent of the UK's natural gas needs, offsetting imports.

Work on the facility is already at an advanced stage, and its completion had only been prevented by court action. Now that it has its final government consent, it should be online and producing by this winter, Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said.

"In the middle of an energy crisis, homegrown gas has a role to play in our energy security as we transition to net zero," said Fahnbuleh. "We’ll also invest North Sea revenues in renewables and other low-carbon projects."

The project's advocates say that Jackdaw will actually reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions. If not for the field's production, Britain would import even more LNG from the United States, paying the extra emissions "price" of the liquefaction and transport of every cubic meter. Wood Mackenzie analyst Gail Anderson estimates that relying on American gas instead of Jackdaw's gas would mean a net emissions increase of another 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

This story was originally published by The Maritime Executive. Read the full story at The Maritime Executive →