Overview
- Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh approved the Jackdaw gas field on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, allowing the North Sea Transition Authority to grant consent for drilling after fresh assessments required by earlier court rulings.
- Adura, the Shell–Equinor joint venture operating the field, and ministers estimate Jackdaw will raise domestic North Sea gas output by about 6% at peak and produce up to roughly 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day over a life of up to 11 years.
- The government announced a new Energy Wealth Fund with an initial £2 billion deposit to recycle tax revenue from North Sea production into renewable and low‑carbon projects.
- The approval has prompted street protests and sharp criticism from environmental groups and some Labour MPs, and campaigners say they may launch fresh legal challenges while a separate decision on the larger Rosebank field remains pending.
- Ministers and industry argue the project secures investment and hundreds of jobs, but officials acknowledge UK household bills are unlikely to fall materially because gas prices are set on global markets.