What is Jackdaw?
Jackdaw is a gasfield in the North Sea, discovered by Shell in 2005 and first proposed for development in 2020. Development was approved in 2023 by the Conservative government but environmental campaigners caused courts to rule that consent had been granted unlawfully.
It has been at the centre of a debate about using home grown energy and whether costs or the environmental impacts of extraction matter most.
The decision has taken a further three years and it has now been approved by the Labour Government.
Why is it in the news so much?
Jackdaw has been a controversial conversation, as many believe new oil and gas should no longer be approved due to net zero commitments – whereas others believe it is necessary to the UK’s energy security.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on the 2024 Finch case, which means North Sea operators have to consider the impact of burning the extracted oil and gas, as well as Labour’s original energy manifesto, have also played a part in the political debate around Jackdaw.
The Energy Secretary today confirmed that Jackdaw will not prevent the UK from being able to meet its legally binding limits on carbon emissions and achieve net-zero by 2050.
Who is behind it?
Jackdaw is owned and operated by Adura, which is a joint venture formed by Shell and Equinor – hence Equinor threatening to stop UK investment if it didn’t get approved.
How much energy will it produce?
Adura say Jackdaw is capable of supplying up to 6% of UK gas demand.
However, there is seemingly larger benefit from its tax capacity, which is to be re-invested in low carbon and renewable projects. It is expected to raise almost £4bn in taxes by 2034.
What about emissions?
Jackdaw will be among the lowest-emission developments in the UK North Sea, with production emissions approximately eight times lower than imported liquified natural gas (LNG).
Shell’s November 2025 Scope 3 assessment gives a high-case estimate of 35.8 million tonnes of CO₂e over the project’s lifetime.
When will Jackdaw actually start production?
The field’s operating infrastructure is mostly already in place, so there’s less work to be done than if the proposal had gone through fully in 2023.
The project is expected to begin supplying gas to the UK before the end of October.
Copyright © 2026 Energy Live News LtdELN