Miatta Fahnbulleh leaning towards refusing Rosebank oilfield approval
Officials say the UK energy secretary is minded to reject Rosebank, according to the Guardian, even as she allows the separate Jackdaw gas project to proceed. No final Rosebank decision has been made.
UK energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is leaning towards refusing approval for the Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea, officials told the Guardian on 21 October 2026. No final decision has been taken, and a ruling is expected later this year. The prospect matters to the companies seeking to develop one of the region’s biggest oilfields and to campaigners opposing new fossil fuel production.
The reported position follows Fahnbulleh’s approval of the smaller Jackdaw gasfield on the same day. In its announcement, the government said she had agreed that the regulator could grant consent for gas production at the already licensed field. The two projects require separate decisions on their environmental applications.
Why Jackdaw approval does not settle Rosebank
Fahnbulleh told the Guardian that Jackdaw would supply gas for the domestic market, while Rosebank is an oilfield whose output would mainly be exported. She said each application must be judged on its own merits and that a decision must be consistent with the UK’s climate obligations and carbon budgets.
Officials cited by the Guardian said Rosebank would produce about seven times Jackdaw’s carbon emissions. Fahnbulleh is understood to see less benefit for UK energy security from Rosebank because most of its oil would be exported. She said Britain would still need gas during the transition to net zero and argued for producing it from relatively low-carbon North Sea sources instead of importing it.
Jackdaw could begin supplying British homes and businesses with gas by the end of October, according to the government. Fahnbulleh said the project would help energy security but would not deliver the government’s goal of lowering bills. The Guardian reported an estimate of 36 million tonnes of carbon emissions from the project.
Rosebank decision expected later in 2026
The companies behind Rosebank resubmitted their applications for environmental approval earlier this year. Labour’s 2024 election manifesto promised to ban new North Sea drilling licences, but the Rosebank and Jackdaw developers are seeking approval under existing licences.
Adura chief executive Neil McCulloch told the Press Association, according to the Guardian, that he was confident Rosebank would be approved. He acknowledged that the decision belonged to Fahnbulleh and her team, and argued that the larger field’s longer life, jobs and economic impact should be taken into account. A date for the Rosebank ruling has not been announced.
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Sources and context
- Energy secretary leaning towards rejecting Rosebank oilfieldThe Guardian
- Jackdaw gas field gets green lightDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero, HM Treasury and North Sea Transition Authority
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.