Jackdaw gas field to create 27 new direct jobs, not 500

The UK government's approval of the Jackdaw gas field has sparked debate over its tangible economic benefits, specifically regarding employment numbers and consumer prices. While the project is…

The UK government's approval of the Jackdaw gas field has sparked debate over its tangible economic benefits, specifically regarding employment numbers and consumer prices. While the project is framed as a measure for energy resilience, a fact-check by The Ferret reveals a distinct divergence between the headline figures and the actual local economic effects. The central discrepancy lies in the employment claims. The government stated that Jackdaw would create 27 new direct jobs.

This figure is derived from an environmental impact assessment by Adura, the field's owner, which is controlled by Shell and the Norwegian state-owned firm Equinor. Adura's documentation specifies that these 27 roles are "new full-time equivalent (FTE) roles required for the Jackdaw-specific activities." The distinction between new and safeguarded work In contrast to the 27 new positions, Adura also projected a consistent level of employment averaging nearly 500 jobs a year across direct, indirect, and induced employment.

However, this aggregate figure includes 273 existing jobs located on the nearby Shearwater North Sea platform. Shearwater will act as the 'host installation' for Jackdaw, processing the gas drilled in the new field before it is brought onshore.