Industry documents show that the new Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea will create only 27 direct full-time jobs, a figure that campaigners say undermines claims of significant employment benefits. The environmental impact assessment, filed publicly by owner Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Norway's Equinor, states that over the lifetime of the field, there would be a consistent level of employment averaging nearly 500 jobs a year in direct, indirect, and induced employment. This includes 273 direct jobs on the Shearwater host installation and an additional 27 Jackdaw-specific jobs.
Campaigners Challenge Industry Claims
Green campaigners argue that the impact on the UK economy from exploiting the fields would be minimal. Angharad Hopkinson, a political campaigner at Greenpeace, which uncovered the jobs figure, said: "Fossil fuel cheerleaders have repeatedly defended new oil and gas developments by claiming they are vital for employment. Those claims look increasingly difficult to justify when the developer's own documents tell a very different story."
Tessa Khan, executive director of campaign group Uplift, added: "It would be a mistake if the first thing Andy Burnham does as prime minister is cave into the demands of the profiteering oil and gas industry. These are companies that have made obscene profits, while our energy costs have skyrocketed. New North Sea drilling will not take a penny off our bills, it will just make a handful of executives and their shareholders even richer."
Industry Lobbying and Political Pressure
The fossil fuel industry, along with the Conservatives, Reform UK, and sections of the Labour party, is lobbying Prime Minister Andy Burnham to approve Jackdaw and Rosebank, an oilfield west of Shetland. Some media reports suggest Burnham is preparing to announce new drilling. Advocates claim the sites would support thousands of jobs. However, the platform for drilling Jackdaw will be unstaffed for most of its operating life, and much of the construction has already taken place in Norway, limiting scope for UK workers.
Tax Revenues and Emissions Disputes
Adura stated that Jackdaw and Rosebank would support 3,500 jobs at peak construction and sustain 880 high-quality jobs throughout production, generating a combined gross value added of over £28bn across their lifetimes and immediate tax revenues of £1.4bn before the end of this parliament. However, Uplift has cast doubt on tax revenue claims, arguing that tax reliefs on developments are so high they will largely outweigh returns. The British public would carry almost all development costs of Rosebank in the form of tax breaks, the group argues.
Fatih Birol, the world's leading energy economist, told the Guardian that opening the fields would do little for the UK's energy security. A consultation on Jackdaw will finish on 8 August. Adura set out its environmental impact assessment for Rosebank on Thursday, claiming greenhouse gas emissions would be small. Khan said the assessment underestimated the climate impact, noting that Rosebank would create carbon dioxide equivalent to 70% of the UK's annual emissions, which was "undeniably significant." She added it would not meaningfully boost UK energy supplies, saying: "It's overwhelmingly oil for export."
Adura responded: "Jackdaw and Rosebank will be among the lowest emissions developments in the UK continental shelf [UKCS], itself one of the most highly regulated and lowest emissions oil and gas basins anywhere in the world. Across Adura's portfolio of new developments – including Rosebank and Jackdaw – average production emissions intensity could be as much as half the UKCS average and around eight times lower than emissions intensity associated with imported liquefied natural gas."
