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Shell and Equinor fight challenges to UK North Sea gas, oil projects
Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on November 12, 2024
2 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on November 12, 2024
2 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
By Sam Tobin
LONDON (Reuters) – Shell and Equinor on Tuesday urged a Scottish court to uphold Britain’s approval for the development of two vast North Sea oil and gas fields, as environmental campaigners attempted to block the projects.
Shell is fighting a legal challenge brought by Greenpeace at the Court of Session in Edinburgh over Britain’s 2022 approval of the Jackdaw gas field.
Norway’s Equinor and its partner Ithaca Energy are also opposing a linked case over the 2023 decision to give the go-ahead to its planned Rosebank oilfield.
The first day of the hearing began after Shell won an appeal in the Netherlands against a landmark ruling that required it to accelerate carbon reduction efforts.
It also came as TotalEnergies opposed a separate legal challenge at London’s High Court over new oil and gas exploration licences.
Britain in August announced it would not defend Greenpeace’s case after a landmark ruling by the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court this summer, which has prompted the government to drop its opposition in other cases.
The Supreme Court ruled that planning authorities must consider the impact of burning, rather than just extracting, fossil fuels when deciding whether to approve projects.
Greenpeace’s lawyers said in documents submitted to the Court of Session that approving the Jackdaw and Rosebank projects was unlawful, as it did not take downstream emissions into account.
Shell, Equinor and Ithaca are fighting the challenges.
Shell, which says the Jackdaw gas field will provide enough fuel to heat 1.4 million homes, said stopping the project would be complex as infrastructure is in place and drilling has begun.
“We accept the Supreme Court’s ruling … but our position is that Jackdaw is a vital project for UK energy security and the project is already well advanced,” a spokesperson said.
Equinor declined to comment on the case, but a spokesperson said Rosebank was “vital for the UK”. Ithaca did not respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Mark Potter)
The North Sea is a sea in Northern Europe, bordered by several countries including the UK, Norway, and Denmark. It is known for its oil and gas reserves.
Sustainability in energy refers to the use of energy sources that meet current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, often focusing on renewable resources.
Fossil fuels are natural substances formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals, primarily consisting of coal, oil, and natural gas, used for energy production.
Environmental campaigning involves efforts to promote awareness and action regarding environmental issues, often advocating for policy changes to protect natural resources.
Energy security refers to the reliable availability of energy resources to meet the needs of consumers and industries, ensuring stable prices and supply.
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