The public consultation period has officially closed for the controversial Rosebank oil field project, a massive £8.7-billion ($11.2-billion USD) drilling venture located 80 miles northwest of the Shetland Islands.

Project operator Adura—the North Sea joint venture combining the UK offshore operations of Shell and Equinor—welcomed the closing of the window, describing it as a "significant regulatory milestone" before a final UK government decision on the project.

The environmental review process was overseen by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED)—the British government agency responsible for regulating offshore oil and gas operations.

Following the close of the public feedback window, the final decision to approve or block the drilling permits now moves to senior British government officials, including UK Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh. If approved, the field is estimated to produce over 300 million barrels of oil, significantly impacting global energy supplies and transatlantic investments.

The conclusion of the Rosebank process by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) follows the closing of a similar consultation for the Jackdaw gas field last week. Taken together, the two North Sea assets represent a combined £10.8 billion private sector investment, with more than three-quarters targeted directly within the UK supply chain.

Legal context and environmental disclosures

The consultations were triggered after a landmark January 2025 Scottish Court of Session ruling determined that the previous Conservative government’s approvals for both fields were unlawful. Adhering to the Supreme Court's precedent regarding the "Finch case," the court ruled that regulators had failed to assess "Scope 3" downstream emissions—the climate impact generated when the extracted oil and gas is ultimately burned by consumers.

In compliance with the court order, Adura published a fresh Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), revealing that the fields will generate an estimated 250 million tonnes of greenhouse gases over their lifetime. While Adura's EIA concluded the emissions were "not significant" in a global context, climate advocacy groups heavily disputed the claims.

Economic and job projections

Adura and industry bodies like Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) have strongly urged the government to move forward with the energy projects to stabilize the UK economy and protect jobs. According to corporate disclosures released by Adura, the projects are projected to deliver:

• Tax Revenues: £1.4 billion during the current parliament, rising to £3.8 billion by the end of the next.
• Employment: 3,500 jobs at peak construction, alongside 880 long-term positions and 125 apprenticeships.
• Peak Output: Rosebank is expected to yield 69,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, accounting for roughly 10% of the UK’s total offshore oil output.

"Rosebank and Jackdaw are nationally significant projects," stated Adura CEO Neil McCulloch. "Together, they can provide more domestically produced energy, support high-quality jobs, and give the UK's world-class energy supply chain confidence for the future."

Next steps

With the public comment window fully closed, OPRED will aggregate and review the feedback. The ultimate decision to grant or deny the final drilling consents now sits squarely with Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his cabinet ministers.