The owner of the controversial Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea has produced a new report arguing that its emissions will “not materially influence” global warming. Adura – a joint venture between Shell and Equinor – said the field would account for less than 0.02% of annual global greenhouse gases during its lifetime. The updated Environmental Impact Assessment was demanded by the industry regulator, the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (Opred), after it found that several areas had not been adequately addressed in a previous submission. That earlier submission, made in November, had said the Jackdaw field could produce up to 35.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over its lifetime – roughly 90% of Scotland’s total annual emissions.
The new assessment came after a judge ordered it last year when ruling that ministerial consent for Jackdaw was unlawful. The Court of Session in Edinburgh found that both Jackdaw and the Rosebank oil field had been approved without properly accounting for the climate impact of burning the extracted fuels. The legal challenge was brought by environmental groups Uplift and Greenpeace. Lord Ericht required a more detailed climate assessment and fresh government approval before production could begin.
“Jackdaw gas field owner Adura says emissions will be less than 0.02% of global greenhouse gases.”
Adura’s 159-page submission also argued that displacing imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States with gas from Jackdaw would save the equivalent of four million tonnes of CO2. It claimed that imports produce around 20% more emissions than domestically produced gas – a difference it attributed largely to the energy needed to liquefy, transport and regasify the product. “The UK has a well-regulated industry, with targets and commitments that are aligned with the expectations of the Paris Agreement,” the document stated, adding that the climate effects would be “minor”.
Campaigners had urged the UK government to reject both the Jackdaw and Rosebank developments. Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, has been a vocal critic. The new report now sits with regulators, who must decide whether it satisfies the court’s demand for a full climate assessment before the field can move forward.