Jackdaw

Adura are building a platform at the Jackdaw field to extract gas to bring ashore in Scotland.

56.901° N
2.3808° W

In 2024, a legal challenge to the project was started by Greenpeace against the Government. On January 30, 2025 the Scottish court ruled that consents for Jackdaw are no longer valid, although work on the project can continue while we await the conclusion of the government’s consultation on scope 3 emissions and a fresh consenting process.

When operational, Jackdaw would provide enough fuel to heat 1.4 million UK homes at a time when older gas fields are reaching the end of their production.

FAQ

±What is Jackdaw?

±Did the government give consent for Jackdaw to proceed?

Yes. The regulator the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA ) gave consent on 1 June, 2022, to develop the project. As part of that consenting process, the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment & Decommissioning (OPRED) had previously agreed to the grant of consent for the Jackdaw project following an assessment of the environmental impacts of the project.

Greenpeace asked the Scottish Court to review NSTA’s grant of consent and OPRED’s agreement to the grant of consent. The review relates to the planning application and the need to consider not only the emissions from the platform’s operations, but also the emissions when the gas is used by customers, for example, in central heating or hot water boilers, or in power stations and factories.

±I’ve heard there was a Supreme Court ruling on this issue. What happened?

±What is Greenpeace’s legal challenge about?

±Is Adura progressing the Jackdaw project lawfully?

±Why is Jackdaw needed? Doesn’t the UK have enough oil and gas already?

Households, motorists and businesses need a stable supply of oil and gas, which remain a key part of the UK energy mix. After decades of supplying oil and gas, output from the UK North Sea is tailing off and now meets less than 50% of the UK’s demand. It is important to stop it tailing off too steeply, while the transition to low-carbon energy gathers pace. Locally produced, responsible oil and gas production is critical for UK energy security and entirely consistent with a net zero pathway as modelled by the UK’s independent climate advisors, the Climate Change Committee.

Public notice

±Read the full notice

The offshore oil and gas exploration, production, unloading and storage (environmental impact assessment) regulations 2020.

Jackdaw Field development

UK North Sea Limited (an affiliate of Shell U.K. Limited) has made an application for consent to the Oil and Gas Authority (“the OGA”) in relation to the above project. The OGA now operates under the business name of the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA). Notices were previously published under regulation 11(3)(c) and 12(5)(c) in respect of this application for consent and the accompanying Environmental Statement documents on 10 May 2021 and 18 March 2022. Further information is now available in respect of this project.

Summary of project

The Jackdaw field is situated in Blocks 30/02a, 30/03a, and 30/02d of the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) and lies in a water depth of approximately 78 metres. The field is located in the Central North Sea (CNS), approximately 250 km east of Aberdeen, 30 km south-east of the Shearwater platform and adjacent to the UK/Norway median line. Jackdaw is a gas/condensate development comprising a “not permanently attended” wellhead platform with four wells, tied back to the Shearwater hub via a 31 km pipeline. The steel jacket and topside were installed in August 2023 and October 2025 respectively. The wells are at an advanced stage of drilling. The pipeline was laid in July 2024.

Environmental impact assessment and consent process

In accordance with the above-mentioned Regulations, the project is subject to an environmental impact assessment procedure. As indicated in the previous notice of 10 May 2021, regulation 13 applies as the project could have a significant effect on the environment of Norway; however scope 3 emissions (as assessed in the Further Information) are considered to have a global effect.

The OGA is responsible for deciding whether or not to grant consent for the project, but agreement to the grant of consent must be obtained from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (“the Secretary of State”) before consent may be granted. The Secretary of State’s decision on whether or not to agree to the grant of consent is based on the environmental impact assessment for the project.

The range of possible decisions in response to the application for consent is:
1. the Secretary of State agrees to the OGA’s grant of consent following the Secretary of State’s conclusion regarding the environmental effects of the project, and the OGA grants consent, so the project may proceed;
2. the Secretary of State refuses to agree to the OGA’s grant of consent following the Secretary of State’s conclusion regarding the environmental effects of the project, so the project may not proceed; or
3. the Secretary of State agrees to the OGA’s grant of consent following the Secretary of State’s conclusion regarding the environmental effects of the project, but the OGA does not grant consent, so the project may not proceed.
Where the Secretary of State agrees to the grant of consent, conditions that UK North Sea Limited must comply with may be attached to the agreement, including environmental conditions to avoid, prevent, reduce or offset any significant adverse effects on the environment, and measures to monitor such conditions.

Notice of the decisions of the Secretary of State and the OGA for the project will be published at Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) where information on the Secretary of State’s decision to agree or refuse to agree to the grant of consent will also be made available.

Access to further information

Copies of this notice, the previous notice made under regulation 11(3)(c) and 12(5)(c) on 10 May 2021 and 18 March 2022, the summary of the project, the Environmental Statement, and the further information may be viewed and downloaded below and at Shell and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). Access shall remain at least three months after the date on which the Secretary of State publishes the notice under regulation 16(1) (publication of consent decisions).

A copy of the Environmental Statement, summary of the project and the further information may also be obtained by post or email. Requests should be made by 22 December 2025 to:

UK North Sea Limited
Jackdaw Field Development
The Silver Fin Building
455 Union Street
Aberdeen
AB11 6DB
By email or by telephone 01224 882000

Public Consultation

Representations, comments or questions relating to the project may be made to the Secretary of State by 22 December 2025. All representations should quote reference number D/4260/2021 and may be made by letter or email to:

Business Support Team
Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment & Decommissioning
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
AB1 Building
Crimon Place
Aberdeen
AB10 1BJ

Judicial Review

A person aggrieved by the grant of consent for a project may apply to the Court for leave / permission to apply for judicial review of the relevant decision or decisions. The United Kingdom has three separate legal systems; one each for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The rules for any application for leave / permission to apply for judicial review may vary depending on where that application is made, but it is important to note that there are time limits for making any application and judicial review may only be available if the applicant has standing / a sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application. Further information about the process for seeking judicial review can be obtained from the Administrative Court (for England and Wales), the Court of Session (for Scotland) or the Judicial Review Office (Northern Ireland).