North Sea drilling faces fresh test under Burnham
Pressure is growing on the government as Europe buys more Russian liquefied natural gas.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is facing renewed pressure over whether to approve the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gas fields in the North Sea. The debate has intensified after new analysis found that European Union ports received a record volume of Russian liquefied natural gas during the first nine months of 2026.
The GMB union accused the government of leaving Britain exposed to Russian energy while delaying decisions on new North Sea production. It argued that imported gas entering the wider European market could contribute indirectly to Britain’s winter supply, although that claim is an inference about a shared and interconnected market rather than evidence of a direct Russian supply contract with the UK.
The Associated Press reported that Burnham was considering whether to approve the Jackdaw and Rosebank projects. Environmental groups oppose the developments, arguing that producing more fossil fuels would worsen climate change. Conservative politicians, parts of the oil and gas industry and US President Donald Trump have argued that domestic production would support jobs and energy security.
Urgewald, a German environmental organisation, said EU ports received 12.18 million tonnes from Russia’s Yamal LNG project between January and September. Its analysis of Kpler shipping data estimated the value at €7.88 billion, with the volume 9.5% higher than in the same period of 2025.
Those figures are estimates from an advocacy group using commercial shipping data, not an official EU payments record. Urgewald said 85% of Yamal’s recorded deliveries went to Europe, making the bloc the project’s largest market during the period studied.
The UK government has separately committed to a ban on maritime services for Russian LNG. A government statement said the ban would restrict Russia’s access to British shipping and insurance services, while the current rules still contain time-limited arrangements for some existing contracts.
The government’s project page for Jackdaw shows that the development remains under regulatory consideration. The available material does not establish that a final decision has been made on either Jackdaw or Rosebank, nor that those delays have led to Russian gas being imported directly into the UK.
The policy choice therefore involves several competing questions: whether new production can improve resilience during the transition, whether it would materially reduce household prices, and how its climate effects should be assessed. The government’s eventual decision will also be judged against its stated aim of reducing Russia’s energy revenues while maintaining secure supplies.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The government is considering the Jackdaw and Rosebank North Sea projects.
- Environmental groups oppose new fossil-fuel developments on climate grounds.
- The GMB union has criticised the government over energy security and Russian gas.
- EU ports received a record volume of Yamal LNG in the first nine months of 2026, according to Urgewald’s analysis.
- The UK government says it will restrict maritime services connected with Russian LNG.
Left
Arguments New North Sea fields would prolong fossil-fuel dependence and risk locking in emissions while diverting political attention from efficiency, renewables and public ownership of energy infrastructure.
Values Climate responsibility, long-term public health, intergenerational fairness and a faster transition away from fossil fuels.
Consequences Approving the fields could weaken Britain’s climate credibility and create assets that become uneconomic as cleaner energy expands.
Centre
Arguments The decision should be based on a rigorous assessment of emissions, supply resilience, costs and legal obligations. Domestic production may have a limited short-term role, but it should not substitute for reducing demand and expanding low-carbon capacity.
Values Evidence-led government, institutional checks, affordability and a managed transition.
Consequences A conditional approval or rejection could both be defensible, provided the government explains the assumptions and protects households from supply shocks.
Right
Arguments Britain should use its own resources rather than rely on imported energy from unstable or hostile suppliers. North Sea development could support jobs, tax receipts and security while the country develops alternatives.
Values National resilience, economic sovereignty, energy affordability and support for domestic industry.
Consequences Rejecting the fields could increase dependence on imports and leave Britain more exposed to geopolitical disruption and volatile prices.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article distinguishes confirmed project and import data from political claims about indirect Russian gas dependence. The estimated LNG value and volume are correctly attributed to Urgewald’s analysis of Kpler data.
- confirmed Andy Burnham is facing a decision over the Jackdaw and Rosebank projects. — Reported by the Associated Press. source
- confirmed EU ports received 12.18 million tonnes from Yamal LNG between January and September 2026. — Urgewald reported this figure from its analysis of Kpler shipping data. source
- confirmed The estimated value of those deliveries was €7.88 billion and volumes were 9.5% higher year on year. — Both figures appear in Urgewald’s release and are identified as estimates. source
- confirmed The UK government plans a maritime-services ban on Russian LNG. — The government statement says the UK will implement the ban and restrict access to British shipping and insurance services. source
- confirmed Russian gas is not shown by the cited sources to be imported directly into the UK as a result of the North Sea delays. — The cited sources discuss EU imports and UK sanctions but do not establish such a direct causal chain. source
Editor's note
The North Sea approval debate and EU LNG figures are supported by recent public sources. The claim that Britain is effectively using Russian gas is disputed and inferential, so it is attributed to the union and explicitly qualified.Sources
- UK's Burnham weighs approval for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea — Associated Press
- EU imports record 12.18 million tonnes of Russian Arctic LNG in first nine months of 2026 — Urgewald
- President Zelenskyy to visit Downing Street as the UK doubles down on support for Ukraine — UK Government
- Jackdaw Field Development — UK Government
- Unions accuse Burnham of relying on Russian gas as North Sea withers — AOL
More on this in other media
- The Guardian — „north sea”
- BBC News — „north sea”
- Sky News — „north sea”