Environmentalists to challenge Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in court

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Two environmental groups are set to have their legal challenge against the Rosebank and Jackdaw offshore oil and gas fields in the North Sea heard in court on Tuesday.

Greenpeace UK and Uplift will argue the impact of emissions from burning the oil and gas extracted from the fields were illegally ignored when they were approved in the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

They believe burning oil and gas from the fields is both illegal and unsafe, and that the Rosebank development will damage a protected area in the North Sea and its marine life.

The UK Government has said it will not challenge judicial reviews brought against Rosebank and Jackdaw to save taxpayer money.

Mel Evans, Greenpeace UK’s climate team leader, previously said: “We will continue to fight the corporate greed of fossil fuel companies like Equinor, Shell and Ithaca, and we look forward to our day in court.”

The Rosebank oil field is west of Shetland and holds fossil fuels equivalent to about 500 million barrels of oil, according to Uplift.

The organisation says 90% of its reserves are oil and the remainder is gas, and that burning all of it would amount to 200 million tonnes of CO2.

Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, previously said: “This case is about protecting ourselves against the worsening climate crisis and putting an end to oil and gas industry profiteering.”

A spokesperson for Shell said: “From the outset, Jackdaw has been developed in line with all relevant consents and permits. We accept the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Finch case, but our position is that Jackdaw is a vital project for UK energy security and the project is already well advanced.

“Stopping the work is a highly complex process, with significant technical and operational issues now that infrastructure is in place and drilling has started in the North Sea.

“Jackdaw will provide enough fuel to heat 1.4 million UK homes as older gas fields reach the end of production.”

A spokesperson for Equinor said previously: “Equinor – in principle – does not comment on ongoing litigation.

“Equinor welcomed regulatory approvals for the Rosebank development in 2023 and will continue to work closely with all relevant parties to progress the project.

“It is vital for the UK and will bring benefits in terms of local investment, jobs and energy security.”

The case is expected to be heard starting at 11am on Tuesday.

Ithaca has been contacted for comment.