Page 16 - EurOil Week 11 2023

EurOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES EurOil

Shell considers Greenpeace challenge

a “low risk” to Jackdaw project

UK SHELL has expressed confidence that a legal case which concerns similar legal issues.” That
challenge by environmental NGO Greenpeace is a reference to a challenge to Surrey County
It is thought that Shell is unlikely to cause disruptions to its plan to Council’s planning permission for the extension
left the Cambo oil develop the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea. of an onshore oil well site in south England.
project partly because In its annual report published last week, the “We’re taking the government to court
of environmental UK major said “there was a relatively low risk because they approved Jackdaw without check-
opposition. of disruption” to the project, both “in terms of ing the full impacts it would have on the cli-
delays” and further adjustments to the plan. mate,” Greenpeace UK said in a statement in
Shell still expects first gas from the field in the January. “By refusing to consider the emissions
mid-2020s. that would be produced by burning the gas
Shell took a final investment decision (FID) from Jackdaw, the government is sending us
on Jackdaw’s development in July last year. Situ- further down a path towards irreversible global
ated some 250 km east of Aberdeen, the project warming.”
will comprise a normally unmanned wellhead The UK’s Offshore Petroleum Regulator for
platform along with subsea infrastructure tied the Environment (OPRED) approved Jackdaw
back to Shell’s existing Shearwater gas hub. Pro- in June last year, only after requiring Shell to
duction is seen peaking at 40,000 barrels of oil revise the development plan to reduce direct
equivalent per day (boepd) – more than 6% of emissions.
UK gas output. The field is estimated to hold Shell last year pledged to spend GBP500mn
between 120 and 250mn barrels of oil equivalent ($600mn) on Jackdaw’s development, estimating
(boe) in reserves. that the investment would provide a “significant
Greenpeace’s application for a judicial review boost to companies, jobs and the prosperity of
of the UK government’s decision to greenlight communities.”
Jackdaw is currently on hold. The NGO is push- Opposition from Greenpeace and other
ing to end the approval of all new upstream pro- environmental organisations is believed to
jects in the UK, despite heightened concerns have played a role in Shell’s decision in August
about the soaring cost of gas and energy security last year to withdraw from another North Sea
amid a global energy crisis exacerbated by Mos- project, the Cambo oilfield. Ithaca Energy,
cow’s invasion of Ukraine last year. which bought Cambo’s operator in a $1.5bn
According to Shell, Greenpeace asked for deal last year, has said it is fully committed to
the project’s approval to be paused “pending the seeing the development through to comple-
decision by the UK Supreme Court on another tion, however. ™

P16 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 11 14•March•2023