Burnham, Fahnbulleh Embrace Pragmatic North Sea Drilling as Output Heads to 15% of Peak by 2030
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 23
Burnham, Fahnbulleh Embrace Pragmatic North Sea Drilling as Output Heads to 15% of Peak by 2030
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 23
Summary
Burnham and Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh have signaled a more "pragmatic" line on North Sea oil and gas, opening the door to backing projects such as Jackdaw and Rosebank after consultations closed.
15% of peak output by 2030 is the basin's trajectory, according to the report, with direct employment down to about 27,000 from roughly 120,000 in the boom years and BP recently ending six decades there.
97% versus 99% is the projected drop in North Sea gas extraction by 2050 with or without new licences, Carbon Brief found, underscoring experts' view that extra drilling would barely affect bills or energy security.
50.4% of UK electricity came from renewables in 2025, versus 31.8% from fossil fuels, and new wind and solar from the latest auction are expected to generate six times more power by 2030 than new drilling licences.
400,000 extra green jobs over five years remain a government goal, but unions and campaigners say the bigger fight is whether the energy transition will finally deliver lasting local jobs and public benefit rather than another market-led boom.