Fahnbulleh inclined to refuse approval for Rosebank oilfield

Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is leaning towards refusing approval for the Rosebank oilfield, according to officials, though she has not made a final decision. A rejection would be a setback for the North Sea industry and a win for climate campaigners, while reflecting concerns that Rosebank would contribute less to UK energy security because most of its oil would be exported.

Fahnbulleh approved the smaller Jackdaw gasfield, which is expected to start supplying the UK from the end of October and add an estimated 36 million tonnes of carbon emissions. She said gas would be needed during the transition and that domestic supply could be preferable to imports, but argued that this reasoning did not apply to Rosebank, whose emissions would be about seven times higher. A decision on Rosebank is expected later this year; the government also plans a £2 billion energy wealth fund for clean energy projects, with details due in the budget.