Equinor CEO says Rosebank, Jackdaw rejection would be major setback

LONDON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Failure to secure approval for the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects would be a major setback for Equinor's Adura joint venture with Shell in the North Sea, Equinor CEO Anders Opedal said on Tuesday.    

"Not approving Rosebank would be contradictory to energy security, to job creation," Opedal told the Energy Intelligence Forum in London. He added that a rejection would prompt Equinor and other investors to question whether Britain remained an attractive place to invest.

Rosebank and Jackdaw have become focal points for climate activists in Britain. Greenpeace and Uplift successfully challenged the projects in court over their treatment of downstream emissions, overturning the original approvals and forcing fresh applications in 2025.

Britain approved Rosebank in 2023 and Jackdaw in 2022 under the previous Conservative government.

A decision on Jackdaw could come within days after media reports said an announcement had been delayed until after an October 8 by-election.

Much of the infrastructure needed for Jackdaw is already in place, meaning the gas field could begin production this winter if approved. Rosebank could deliver first oil in the first half of 2027.

Equinor and Shell rebranded their UK North Sea joint venture as Adura in 2025. The venture is set to become the largest oil and gas producer in the UK North Sea.

(Reporting by Robert Harvey, Shadia Nasralla and Stephanie Kelly in London. Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Mark Potter)