Business
Big Oil’s war windfall
Top North Sea drillers see £73bn share price bonanza from Iran war.
29 March 2026
New evidence from Jackdaw developer Adura’s own Environmental Impact Assessment casts serious doubt on repeated claims that the controversial North Sea oil and gas project will create hundreds of new long-term jobs, Greenpeace UK has found.
On page 88 of the Environmental Impact Assessment, Adura states: ‘The 300 jobs on Shearwater are comprised of the current 273 jobs for operating the Shearwater host installation, plus 27 new Full Time Equivalent (FTE) roles required for the Jackdaw-specific activities.’
This means the project would create just 27 new full-time equivalent jobs, with the remaining roles already existing as part of the Shearwater platform’s operations.
To put that into context, that’s not enough people to fill the top deck of a double-decker bus and fewer than the players who were on the field during the England vs Argentina World Cup semifinal.
‘Adura has scored an own goal with its Environmental Impact Assessment. After years of claims that projects like Jackdaw are essential for protecting jobs, the company’s own figures show the project won’t create enough full-time roles to fill the top deck of a London bus.
‘It’s never been workers who stand to gain most from projects like Jackdaw – it’s oil and gas companies and their shareholders. After a record-breaking summer of extreme heat driven largely by fossil fuels, this isn’t the time for Andy Burnham to cave in to the demands of the polluters’ lobby. If he’s looking for job creation, the clean economy is where he’ll find it.’
ANGHARAD HOPKINSON
Political campaigner at Greenpeace UK
The finding contradicts years of political and industry messaging used to justify approval of new oil and gas developments on employment grounds.
Conservative Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie has described Jackdaw as a project that would ‘help shape the lives of thousands of North Sea workers for years to come’, adding that it would ‘create 3,500 jobs during construction, with 880 high-quality, well-paid jobs sustained throughout production’.
However, Adura’s own assessment indicates that the number of genuinely new permanent jobs associated with Jackdaw specifically is only 27.
Campaigners say the disclosure further weakens the case for approving new fossil fuel developments on employment grounds.
Top North Sea drillers see £73bn share price bonanza from Iran war.
Rosebank & Jackdaw ruled unlawful in historic win for climate campaigners.
Unions and climate groups join forces to demand £1.9bn a year transition funding for North Sea workers.
Activists install giant new artwork by Anish Kapoor on Shell platform as heatwave rages on.
