The owner of the controversial Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea has insisted the project will “not materially influence” global warming, in a new environmental assessment ordered by a judge after a legal challenge from campaigners.
Adura – a joint venture between Shell and Equinor – submitted its updated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to the industry regulator, the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (Opred), after the court found that ministerial consent had been granted unlawfully. The new 159-page report claims the field will account for less than 0.02% of annual global greenhouse gases during its lifetime.
“Jackdaw gas field's owner says emissions will be less than 0.02% of global greenhouse gases annually.”
Last year, the Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled that both Jackdaw and the Rosebank oil field had been unlawfully approved because the government failed to consider the climate impact of burning the extracted oil and gas. The case was brought by environmental groups Uplift and Greenpeace. Lord Ericht ordered a more detailed climate assessment and fresh government approval before production can begin.
A previous revised EIA, submitted in November, had said Jackdaw could produce up to 35.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent – around 90% of Scotland’s total emissions. Opred required Adura to provide additional context on how those emissions would affect global climate goals.
In the updated assessment, Adura argues 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 says imports produce around 20% more emissions than domestically produced gas, largely because of the energy needed to liquefy, transport and regasify the product.
The report also describes the climate effects as “minor”, noting that the UK has a “well-regulated industry, with targets and commitments that are aligned with the expectations of the Paris Agreement” – the legally binding global pact to limit warming to between 1.5C and 2C.
Campaigners had called on the government to reject both Jackdaw and Rosebank. Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, was among those challenging the approvals. The regulator must now decide whether the updated EIA meets the requirements set out by the court – and whether the gas field can finally move forward.