New UK Prime Minister Set to Back North Sea Oil and Gas Projects

The incoming UK administration is expected to move quickly to support new oil and gas activity in the North Sea, with reports indicating that Prime Minister Andy Burnham will signal his backing for fresh drilling within days of assuming office. His team has reportedly instructed civil servants to prepare approval plans for two contested offshore developments.

The projects in question are the Jackdaw gas field and the Rosebank oil field, both located off Scotland and operated by Adura, the North Sea joint venture formed by Shell and Equinor. Alongside these, the government is said to be considering an expansion of tie-back arrangements, which permit additional drilling near established fields.

Both developments have faced legal setbacks after earlier consents were struck down by the courts as unlawful. Public consultations on Jackdaw and Rosebank were launched on Thursday, which means formal approvals may not be possible until those processes conclude. The sites have become a political dividing line, with the outgoing energy secretary resisting expanded production on net-zero grounds, while trade unions and business-aligned figures have pushed for a policy shift.

Adura chief executive Neil McCulloch said approving both fields would unlock substantial benefits, including improved energy security ahead of winter. The company noted that Rosebank alone could supply around 10 per cent of UK continental shelf oil output, helping to slow the decline in domestic production and supporting the availability of refined products such as jet fuel. Together, the firm said, the fields could sustain thousands of jobs and apprenticeships and contribute roughly a tenth of the UK's domestic gas output.

Officials argue the approvals would not breach the governing party's pledge to halt new exploration licences, as the grants originated under the previous administration. The final decision will hinge on who is appointed to the energy portfolio, with ministerial names expected only after the handover.

For Malaysian and Southeast Asian maritime and oil and gas readers, the developments carry relevance for operators, vessel owners and supply-chain firms with international exposure. A renewed pipeline of North Sea projects could sustain demand for offshore services, subsea equipment and skilled labour, offering potential contracting opportunities and signalling a broader recalibration of energy-security priorities that regional players increasingly track.