North Sea oil firm in jobs threat as pressure grows on government to approve drilling

By TOM GORDON, SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 21:14, 27 July 2026 | Updated: 21:18, 27 July 2026 The firm behind the stalled Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields is set to cut jobs, adding to pressure on UK ministers to approve the projects urgently. Aberdeen-based Adura confirmed it had opened a voluntary redundancy scheme to its 1,200 staff but did not disclose likely losses. The largest undeveloped oil and gas fields in the North Sea respectively, Rosebank and Jackdaw were initially approved by the last Tory government. But legal challenges by green campaigners held them up and forced a fresh assessment of their carbon footprint. A final consultation ends next month. The SNP’s official position is a ‘presumption against’ new fields and Labour’s manifesto promised a ban on licensing new projects. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh could still approve Rosebank and Jackdaw, but there is no certainty on their future. More jobs are expected to be lost as drilling continues to be stalled at Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gas fields Scottish Tory MP Douglas Lumsden, who won the recent Aberdeen South by-election in a local referendum on North Sea drilling, said: ‘Every redundancy linked to the uncertainty hanging over Rosebank and Jackdaw should shame both Labour and the SNP. ‘Andy Burnham has the power to end this paralysis today, yet he continues to drag his feet while skilled workers wonder if they’ll still have a job. ‘John Swinney is no better. He refuses to say whether he even wants these projects to go ahead because he’s too frightened to upset his anti-oil backbenchers. ‘North Sea workers deserve champions, not politicians whose weakness is costing Scotland jobs, investment and its energy future.’ Gordon and Buchan Tory MP Harriet Cross added: ‘Adura owns Jackdaw and Rosebank, but its workers are still facing redundancies. Why? ‘Because Labour’s wider regulatory and tax policies on North Sea oil and gas are completely unsustainable for businesses. ‘The Government must not think that if they permit Jackdaw and Rosebank that’s enough. It’s not. ‘Businesses must be able to invest, so Labour must also end their ban on new licences and the Energy Profits Levy.’ Scottish Tory MP Douglas Lumsden A spokesman for Adura said: ‘Adura continues to assess what future structure best aligns with the needs of the business and our long-term ambitions. ‘As part of that process, some staff expressed an interest in being given the opportunity to make a personal choice about their future. ‘No further decisions have been made over Adura’s future organisational structure and we will engage with staff as plans develop.’ Nationalist MSP Dawn Black said: ‘The Labour UK Government is ruining Scottish energy jobs through their supertax on Scotland’s energy. ‘We need confidence in the North Sea to deliver renewables jobs – there is absolutely no moral high ground in sponsoring oil and gas jobs half way round the world while losing that same expertise here in Scotland.’ A spokesman for the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: ‘Our focus is on providing stability and supporting North Sea workers and communities as they continue to make a vital contribution to the UK’s economy.’