Labour was last night urged to ignore pressure from eco-zealots and to push ahead with drilling in Britain's largest untapped oil field.
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Labour → urge → field
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh was poised to reject plans to exploit the Rosebank site – just hours after approving production at the Jackdaw gas field.
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Fahnbulleh → poise → field
Calls from union bosses and Labour MPs to press ahead with oil extraction were backed by Donald Trump who urged the UK to go 'full blast' and exploit the North Sea's resources.
But Ms Fahnbulleh signalled that she is likely to reject the plans, saying she did not apply the same rationale to each of the projects.
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she → press → projects
Climate campaigners object to Rosebank because it would emit about seven times the carbon dioxide of the Jackdaw site.
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it → object → site
Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary and former energy secretary, is said to be staunchly opposed to the new drilling.
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Miliband → say → drilling
Ms Fahnbulleh said: 'One is a gasfield that caters for the domestic market, while the other is an oilfield that is mainly for export.
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that → say → export
It is right that we judge each application in its own right, and it is absolutely critical that the decision is consistent with our climate obligations, our carbon budgets and the end destination we need to get to with the energy transition.'
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we → judge → transition
She has already faced objections from Left-wing Labour MPs to her decision to grant permission for Jackdaw, which could begin supplying gas to British homes and businesses within weeks.
uncertain
which → face → weeks
Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary and former energy secretary, is said to be staunchly opposed to the new drilling (file image)
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Miliband → say → drilling
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh was poised to reject plans to exploit the Rosebank site - just hours after approving production at the Jackdaw gas field.
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Fahnbulleh → poise → field
She is pictured here during a visit to Shell UK's St Fergus Gas Terminal in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire
The field could account for 6 per cent of North Sea gas production when fully operational and provide a £2.9billion economic boost while protecting jobs.
But Ms Fahnbulleh conceded that it would not mean cheaper energy bills, saying that it would instead contribute to energy security at a time of war in the Middle East.
Unions welcomed her decision to back Jackdaw, with Gary Smith, the GMB general secretary, saying the Government deserved 'real credit' for it.
uncertain
Government → picture → it
But he urged ministers to go further and approve Rosebank too – a decision that is likely to prove more controversial.
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that → urge → Rosebank
Rosebank is a far bigger project believed to contain between 300million and 500million barrels of oil which could make up about 8 per cent of UK oil production.
uncertain
which → believe → production
The emissions eventually produced by the oil would be seven times those produced by the gas from Jackdaw, say campaigners.
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campaigners → produce → Jackdaw
Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra has previously told Andy Burnham that he supports drilling in Rosebank and has argued that it would boost Scotland's economy.
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it → tell → economy
The Unite general secretary Sharon Graham welcomed the decision on Jackdaw and has previously urged the Government to support Rosebank.
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secretary → welcome → Rosebank
Drone footage shows the Jackdaw gas field at sea.
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footage → show → sea
Ms Fahnbulleh has now approved production at the field
Scottish Labour MP Graeme Downie tweeted that he was 'glad' Jackdaw had been approved, adding that the UK would need oil and gas for decades.
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UK → approve → decades
Neil McCulloch, chief executive of Adura, the company part-owned by Shell that is behind both projects, said he believed that Rosebank would also be approved.
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Rosebank → own → projects
'Jackdaw represents a significant prize in its own right: £2.1billion of investment and enough gas to heat the equivalent of around 1.4million UK homes at peak production.
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Jackdaw → represent → production
Our attention now turns to Rosebank.
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attention → turn → Rosebank
The case for approval is equally strong.'
Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called for more exploration of the North Sea, said the decision on Jackdaw was 'great news'.
The US President posted on Truth Social: 'The U.K. has started drilling in the North Sea, one of the greatest and most prosperous areas of OIL in the World.
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U.K. → call → World
They should go FULL BLAST!!!
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They → go → ?
This will make the U.K. very wealthy again.
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U.K. → make → ?
The Tories called for Rosebank to be approved, with shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie saying the move would boost national security.
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move → call → security
Writing in the Daily Mail he said: 'At a time of such geopolitical uncertainty, with over 80 per cent of UK households relying on gas heating, it is in the national interest to maximise our own North Sea resources and reduce our reliance on expensive, dirtier imports.'
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander, Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh and Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey are pictured during a visit to Shell UK's St Fergus Gas Terminal
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Alexander → write → Terminal
While Labour's 2024 manifesto committed to issuing no new oil and gas licences for the North Sea, Jackdaw and Rosebank had already received approval.
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Jackdaw → commit → approval
The decisions by the Conservatives were overturned by a legal challenge and fresh assessments completed.
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assessments → overturn → challenge
Ms Fahnbulleh has received considerable flak from some Labour MPs over Jackdaw.
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Fahnbulleh → receive → Jackdaw
Hard-Left MP Richard Burgon said it was an 'absolutely terrible decision', while Alex Sobel said it would give 'mixed messages' on climate change.
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it → say → change
Chris Hinchcliff co-
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Hinchcliff → co → ?
Environmental campaigners protested outside the Energy Department and the Greens accused Labour of 'climate vandalism'.
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Greens → protest → vandalism
They urged the Prime Minister not to give permission for Rosebank which is the next decision the Energy Secretary must make.
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Secretary → urge → Rosebank
Mr Burnham said: 'We're committed to moving towards renewable energy.
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We → say → energy
But even on our ambitious climate path, we'll still require oil and gas as part of our energy needs for decades to come.
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we → require → decades
That's why we're taking a pragmatic approach to the North Sea.'
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we → take → Sea
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Labour should have taken the decision to approve Jackdaw earlier instead of 'faffing about'.
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Labour → say → Jackdaw
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said it was 'shameful' that the Energy Secretary was not in Parliament to make a statement on the decision.
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Secretary → say → decision
Asked whether the Energy Secretary's comments indicated that she was unlikely to approve Rosebank, a spokesman said each project would be 'assessed on its own merits'.
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project → ask → merits
The Aporia
