$11.8 billion North Sea oil & gas project clears key consultation hurdle ahead of government’s final say

August 17, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Adura, an incorporated joint venture (IJV) between the UK-headquartered Shell and Norway’s Equinor, has confirmed the end of a public consultation period on the development of an oil and gas field in the North Sea. This project on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) is now awaiting the UK government’s final call.

Adura has welcomed the conclusion of the public consultation period on the Rosebank oil and gas field, describing it as a significant regulatory milestone before a formal decision on the £8.7 billion ($11.8 billion) project.

The end of the consultation by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) at midnight follows the completion of a similar process for the Jackdaw gas field last week. According to the North Sea operator, these two developments represent a combined anticipated investment of £10.8 billion ($14.6 billion), more than three-quarters of it spent in the UK.

These projects are expected to deliver £1.4 billion ($1.90 billion) in tax revenues before the end of this parliament, rising to £3.8 billion ($5.2 billion) by the end of the next, and support 3,500 jobs at peak construction, 880 high-quality, well-paid jobs sustained throughout production in communities across the UK, and 125 apprenticeships.

Rosebank is anticipated to generate £24.3 billion ($32.9 billion) in gross value added (GVA) for the UK economy across construction and operations, supply chain activity, and the wider economy over the course of its producing lifespan.

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Neil McCulloch, Chief Executive of Adura, commented: “Rosebank is the largest undeveloped oil field in the UK North Sea, and today’s consultation close is a major step before a decision on a project that can deliver real economic benefits for the country.

“We are grateful to everyone who has engaged constructively with the consultation process and made their views known, including businesses and organisations representing thousands of workers across the UK energy industry and its supply chain.”

This project is forecast to produce around 69,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, equivalent to roughly 10% of anticipated UKCS oil output. With total oil production projected to fall in coming years, Adura deems Rosebank large enough to slow that decline.

Located approximately 130 kilometers northwest of Shetland, Rosebank will be developed in two phases, with subsea wells tied back to a redeployed floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO). The FPSO Petrojarl Rosebank, also known as Petrojarl Knarr, was picked for the project.

The company claims that Rosebank and Jackdaw have the potential to make up 10% of domestic natural gas production. The Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled on January 30, 2025, that the previous government’s decision to approve the two oil fields was unlawful.

As a result, the court overturned the decision, accepting Uplift’s argument that the government failed to consider the emissions that would be caused by burning the oil and gas produced by these fields when it approved them.

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McCulloch emphasized: “Rosebank and Jackdaw are nationally significant projects. Together, they can provide more domestically produced energy, support high-quality jobs and apprenticeships, generate substantial economic activity and tax revenues, and give the UK’s world-class energy supply chain confidence for the future.

“We look forward to continuing to work constructively with the regulator as it completes its consideration of these two important projects.”

Adura highlights that OPRED will now consider the consultation responses on Rosebank before a ministerial decision on whether to approve the project.