Burnham to Approve North Sea Oil and Gas Drilling in Policy Blitz
Incoming UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to announce new drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea within days of taking office, according to reports. His team has asked the civil service to prepare approvals for the Jackdaw gas field and Rosebank oil field off Scotland, along with expanded tie-backs near existing fields. The fields are operated by Adura, a Shell-Equinor joint venture. Both projects remain in legal limbo after previous approvals were overturned, but public consultations launched Thursday may delay formal approval. The move is expected to draw criticism from environmentalists and the Labour left, but support from trade unions and the right. Adura argues the projects would boost energy security, sustain thousands of jobs, and provide 10% of UK domestic gas production. The final decision rests on Burnham's choice for energy secretary, to be announced next Monday.
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