Granting a new gasfield licence does not guarantee energy security
By Stuart Jones, Professor of Sedimentology & Geoenergy, Durham University
Andrew Crossland, Professor in Practice, Department of Engineering, Durham University
Jon Gluyas, Professor of Geoenergy, Carbon Capture and Storage, Durham University
The UK government is deciding whether to approve a licence for Jackdaw gasfield, around 250km east of Aberdeen, in the North Sea. This is being presented by supporters as part of the answer to Britain’s energy-security problem. The UK government has argued that if Britain still needs gas, then producing it domestically is preferable to imports.
But there is a fundamental problem with treating new gas production as an answer to long-term energy needs especially when there are other enduring ways to use the North Sea to reduce bills, increase energy security and create jobs in the emerging…
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Friday, September 18, 2026