Consultation on Rosebank oil field to close today

The consultation on the Rosebank oil field is due to close later today.  

The end of the consultation by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) at midnight will follow the completion of a similar process for the Jackdaw gas field last week. 

Both oil fields, which are the centre of controversy, have seen stakeholders spend years putting arguments forward for and against granting the license for new oil and gas production, and it is expected that Prime Minister Andy Burnham could decide on their future as early as September.  

Last month, the PM told US President Donald Trump he would take a “pragmatic approach” to the issue of North Sea oil and gas.  

Trump has long urged the UK Government to grant new oil and gas licenses.  

The Scottish Greens have said the Burnham must “stand up” to Trump and reject the new oil fields.  

The party’s climate spokesperson Mark Ruskell made the call to the PM following significant wildfires in the Cairngorms this summer.  

“The devastating fires in the Cairngorms have shown the terrible impact that climate breakdown is already having on our communities, wildlife and emergency services,” Ruskell said.  

“Labour promised voters in 2024 that new oil and gas fields would not cut bills or deliver energy security, and would worsen the climate crisis. Those facts do not change just because Labour is now in government, or because they want to appease climate-deniers like Donald Trump.” 

He also criticised John Swinney and the SNP, who are calling for an end to the windfall tax on oil and gas companies. He said: “John Swinney and the Scottish Government must face the facts. Calling for tax cuts for some of the richest oil giants is not a credible plan to protect workers and communities, especially during the cost-of-living crisis many families across Scotland are struggling with.” 

The Scottish Conservatives have warned that the prime minister’s decision could be the difference between “life and death” for the North Sea industry. 

Shadow Scottish secretary, Andrew Bowie, said: “The absurd North Sea energy policy of both Westminster and Holyrood governments risks bringing a premature end to our oil and gas sector as we know it. 

“I am absolutely positive that the results of both consultations will send a clear message to Andy Burnham to stop the small talk and get Britain drilling again. 

“These oil and gas fields, which the Conservatives have supported from the very beginning, will help shape the lives of thousands of North Sea workers for years to come. 

“BP’s decision to end its North Sea operations must be the catalyst for Labour to get Jackdaw and Rosebank up and running as a matter of urgency. 

“Anything other than approving these fields will threaten our energy security, cost thousands of jobs, and move our world-leading oil and gas industry one step closer to extinction.” 

Adura, which operates both Rosebank and Jackdaw, has welcomed the end of the consultation. 

Both of the oil and gas fields represent an anticipated investment of £10.8bn - of which over three-quarters is expected to be spent in the UK.  

It is also expected that the projects will support 3,500 jobs at the peak of construction, including around 900 well-paid jobs sustained throughout production in communities across the UK, as well as 125 apprenticeships. 

Neil McCulloch, chief executive of Adura, described Rosebank and Jackdaw as “nationally significant projects”. 

He said: “Together, they can provide more domestically produced energy, support high-quality jobs and apprenticeships, generate substantial economic activity and tax revenues, and give the UK’s world-class energy supply chain confidence for the future.” 

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) is urging MPs and MSPs to “follow the facts” on the North Sea future, and has launched a major new initiative to help reset the national debate about the future of the North Sea, calling on politicians to base one of the UK's most important policy decisions on evidence rather than rhetoric.  

The chamber has unveiled a new website, which it says is a comprehensive new online resource bringing together publicly available evidence on the economic, environmental and energy security case for domestic oil and gas production.   

The AGCC has written to every MP and MSP, urging them to use the tool to inform future discussions on the issue.