How much gas could Jackdaw provide? And will it cut your energy bills?

The UK government has approved drilling at the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, which could meet around 1.6% of the country's projected gas demand between 2026 and 2036.

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The UK government has approved drilling at the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, paving the way for gas to be extracted and used in Britain's gas network within weeks. The decision comes after years of debate and legal challenges.

Jackdaw is a gas field 150 miles east of Aberdeen, owned by Adura Energy, which is equally owned by Shell and Equinor. The owners estimate that Jackdaw has around 10 million cubic metres of recoverable gas.

According to official forecasts, Jackdaw has the potential to meet around 1.6% of total projected national gas demand between 2026 and 2036. Operators say it could be connected to the Great British gas network within weeks and could produce gas for the next 11 years.

Around half of the UK's natural gas comes from its existing North Sea gas fields and is pumped ashore via pipelines. Gas imports make up the remainder, with most coming from Norway's North Sea gas fields via separate pipelines. However, a higher share of the UK's gas imports now come in the form of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) compared with 20 years ago.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has said that the gas from Jackdaw 'won't lower energy bills this winter'. Most energy analysts do not expect the additional gas production from Jackdaw to have a significant, direct impact on households' energy bills, either.