UK Approves North Sea Gas Drilling, Citing Iran War Fallout

The British government has approved a new gas extraction project in the North Sea, reversing a ban that the Labour Party had supported since 2024. Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the decision is temporary and pragmatic, driven by rising energy prices and global instability from the war in the Middle East. The Jackdaw gas field, off the coast of Scotland, will begin supplying gas to homes and businesses by the end of this month, according to the government. Some of that gas will be exported, however, so its impact on the wider British energy market—which has been hit by some of the highest prices in Europe—will be limited. The government estimates the project will increase gas production by about 6% at peak output. The field will produce gas for a decade. "Recent events in the Middle East have caused global energy shocks and pushed up bills for households across the country," the government said in its announcement. "At a time of global instability, home-produced energy can be a source of national strength." Burnham said he remains "committed to renewable energy," but the country needs more fossil fuels during the transition. "Even on our ambitious climate path, we will still need oil and gas as part of our needs in the coming decades. That is why we are taking a pragmatic approach in the North Sea," he said in a statement. He also announced a new fund to support renewable energy, to be financed by revenue from offshore drilling licenses. Energy Minister Miata Fahnbulleh said the field "will help energy security" by "minimizing the use of imported fuels that produce more emissions" while the country continues "the transition to renewables and nuclear power." She said the decision "is compatible with our legally binding climate commitments, and we remain determined to end new oil and gas licenses and achieve net zero emissions by 2050." **Trump's Push** North Sea drilling was one of US President Donald Trump's priorities. He had pressured previous Prime Minister Keir Starmer both publicly and privately to reauthorize it. He also asked Burnham to "open up" the North Sea during their first conversation in July. Environmental activists accused Burnham of living in a "parallel universe" after a summer of extreme temperatures and drought in England and Wales harmed public health. "Jackdaw won't make much difference to our energy bills, but it will feed the climate chaos already unfolding before our eyes," the group Friends of the Earth said. The British government still must decide on another oil field, Rosebank. Jackdaw and Rosebank were both approved in 2022 by the Conservative government, but environmental groups blocked them in court. In 2024, Starmer agreed to a moratorium backed at the UN climate summit. Trade unions support authorizing the fields, which will be operated by Shell and Norway's Equinor, to preserve jobs in the region. In July, oil company BP announced it was selling its entire North Sea business after six decades of operations there.