The British government on Wednesday green-lit a long-stalled drilling project in the North Sea – a win for the oil industry and President Trump, who has urged UK leaders to ramp up drilling.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham called it a “pragmatic” decision, saying the Jackdaw field off the coast of Scotland will provide up to 40 million barrels of oil over its lifetime and add an estimated $3.8 billion to the UK economy.
He also committed billions of dollars to a new fund to bolster renewable energy development across the country – likely anticipating backlash from environmentalists, who have protested drilling projects over the risk of global warming.
Trump, who has repeatedly pressured British leaders to “open up” the North Sea for drilling, praised the decision in a Wednesday morning Truth Social post.
“Great news for the wealth and prosperity of the United Kingdom, and the wonderful region of Aberdeen. The UK has started drilling in the North Sea, one of the greatest and most prosperous areas of OIL in the World,” the president wrote.
“They should go FULL BLAST!!! This will make the UK very wealthy again.”
Trump has lambasted British prime ministers for pursuing net-zero policies, arguing they are only hurting themselves with taxes and emissions controls on drilling projects.
“Even on our ambitious climate path, we’ll still require oil and gas as part of our energy needs for decades to come,” Burnham said Wednesday. “That’s why we’re taking a pragmatic approach to the North Sea.”
Britain positioned the project as a way to reduce reliance on fuel imports as energy costs remain elevated amid the Middle East conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Jackdaw could eventually supply 6% of Britain’s gas production and heat 1.4 million homes, according to Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Equinor and the developer on the project.
It marks the first new extraction site in Britain’s North Sea since 2024, when the government issued a moratorium on drilling proposals.
The nation’s Conservative Party initially approved the Jackdaw field in 2022, but years of debate over environmental risks and Britain’s greenhouse gas policies have stalled the project.
Burnham said the project would “protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm this winter” and that the government was trying to maximize its reserves at a time when citizens are struggling with sky-high fuel costs.
But he added that the UK still remains “committed to moving towards renewable energy” and hitting net zero emissions by 2050.
The news was celebrated by unions and business leaders, who said the project will provide an economic lifeline for cities along the Scottish coastline that have reported losses of more than 1,000 oil and gas jobs a month.
Proponents also argued that even if the UK continues to pursue a push toward clean energy, they will need natural gas in the meantime as Brits rely on boilers and fuel-powered vehicles.
Tree-huggers were outraged, calling the approval a slap in the face just weeks before Burnham is set to appear at the United Nations summit in Turkey. The UN recently issued a new warning about the need to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Environmental activists have argued that by their own estimates, Jackdaw will provide just 2% of Britain’s gas needs.
Meanwhile, Adura is pushing for the government to also approve a separate drilling project in the North Sea called Rosebank – arguing the two new sites combined could supply 10% of the nation’s domestic gas and oil production.
The developer has previously said work on Jackdaw could start immediately after approval.
