Adura has submitted responses to a request for further information from the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) regarding its Jackdaw and Rosebank developments.
The submissions, made on Friday 19th June 2026, relate to two major North Sea projects that are already at an advanced stage of development and construction. More than £3 billion has been invested across the projects to date. Regulatory approval must now be reconfirmed before production can begin.
Jackdaw and Rosebank are regarded as nationally significant energy developments, with the potential to support economic growth, create and sustain skilled employment, and generate substantial tax revenues. Together, the projects are expected to contribute £28.7 billion in gross value added (GVA) over their operational lifespans through both direct activity and supply chain impacts, with most of that value anticipated to be delivered in Scotland.
The developments are also forecast to generate £1.4 billion in tax revenues before the end of the current UK Parliament and a total of £3.8 billion before the anticipated end of the next Parliament in 2034. At peak production, annual tax revenues are expected to exceed £720 million.
Employment impacts are also significant. The projects are projected to support approximately 3,500 jobs during peak construction, while sustaining around 880 highly skilled, well-paid positions throughout the production phase. In addition, they are expected to support 125 apprenticeships across communities throughout the UK.
From an energy security perspective, Jackdaw and Rosebank could collectively account for around 10 percent of UK natural gas production. Jackdaw alone is expected to provide more than 6 percent of UK gas supply by winter, enough to heat approximately 1.4 million homes. Rosebank could contribute around 4 percent of UK gas production and 10 percent of oil production from the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), strengthening supplies of refined products such as jet fuel and motor fuels across North West Europe.
Oil and gas currently provide around 75 percent of the UK’s energy needs. According to Adura, failure to secure approval for both projects would require the UK to source equivalent volumes from international markets that typically carry greater geopolitical risk and, on average, higher carbon intensity than domestically produced resources.
The company also stated that average production emissions intensity across its portfolio, including Jackdaw, Rosebank and future developments, could be as little as half the UKCS average and approximately eight times lower than the emissions intensity associated with imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Both projects are nearing operational readiness. The Jackdaw platform has already been installed in the North Sea and is in the final stages of commissioning. The development is connected to the existing Shearwater Hub and will utilise established infrastructure to transport gas onshore to St Fergus in Aberdeenshire. Meanwhile, the retrofitted Petrojarl Rosebank floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel arrived at its location west of Shetland in May.
Commenting on the submission to OPRED, Adura Chief Executive Officer Neil McCulloch said the projects represent the next chapter in the North Sea’s long-standing contribution to Britain’s energy system. He highlighted the engineering efforts undertaken by Adura, Rosebank co-venturer Ithaca Energy and the wider supply chain, noting that both developments are positioned to make a substantial contribution to UK and European energy security.
McCulloch also emphasised the economic significance of the projects, stating that the multibillion-pound investment already made has created a substantial opportunity that can continue throughout the fields’ production lives, supporting thousands of jobs and delivering more than £28 billion in value to the UK economy.
He added that timely regulatory approval would enable Adura to provide the energy the UK requires while delivering lower associated emissions within existing carbon budgets and generating significant economic benefits.
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