North Sea oil drilling at Rosebank delayed after equipment dropped
10 reported3 unconfirmed
Production at Britain’s largest undeveloped oil and gas field, Rosebank, could be delayed for months after drilling equipment was accidentally dropped into the North Sea, according to a single-source report from The Guardian. The field, located about 80 miles northwest of Shetland, was expected to generate oil before the end of the year pending ministerial approval, but the company responsible, Adura, now anticipates production will begin at some point in 2027. The incident occurred on April 18, when two central pieces of drilling equipment, including a safety valve, were dropped 1,100 meters onto the seabed; no workers were hurt. The rig, hired from Norwegian company Odfjell Drilling, was taken to a shipyard in Bergen for repairs and has since returned to Rosebank but is not yet operational. Odfjell Drilling stated in internal documentation that the rig could be out of action for up to four months, meaning some oil wells will be completed significantly behind schedule. The new energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, is expected to make a decision on the fields’ future after consultations regarding their emissions conclude in August. The Guardian notes that this is a single-source report and has not been independently verified.
What’s reported
Equipment from a rig was accidentally dropped in the North Sea, delaying production at the Rosebank oil field.
The incident occurred on April 18; no workers were hurt.
Two central pieces of drilling equipment, including a safety valve, were dropped 1,100 meters onto the seabed.
The rig, hired by Adura from Odfjell Drilling, was taken to a shipyard in Bergen for repairs and is back at Rosebank but not yet operational.
Odfjell Drilling said in internal documentation that the rig could be out of action for up to four months.
Adura now anticipates oil production at Rosebank will begin at some point in 2027, rather than before the end of 2026.
Rosebank is located about 80 miles northwest of Shetland and is projected to produce 300 million barrels of oil over 25 years.
Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is expected to make a decision on the fields’ future after consultations conclude in August.
Licenses for Rosebank and Jackdaw were granted under the Conservatives but operations were paused after a court challenge by environmental groups.
Adura told the BBC that the Jackdaw site, about 150 miles east of Aberdeen, could produce gas as early as October.
Open questions
The exact timeline for when Rosebank production will begin in 2027 is not specified.
Whether the government will approve drilling at Rosebank and Jackdaw after the August consultations is not yet known.
Whether environmental groups will pursue legal action against any government decision to allow drilling is not confirmed.
Key figures
Andy Burnham (prime minister)
Miatta Fahnbulleh (energy secretary)
Sally Jameson (Cabinet Office minister)
Mike Reader (part of the Labour Environment Campaign)
Ed Miliband (foreign secretary)
Angeliki Papantoniou (lecturer in environmental law at the University of Hull)
Areeba Hamid (co-executive director of Greenpeace)
Odfjell Drilling (Norwegian company, declined to comment)
Adura (company responsible for Rosebank, did not respond to request for comment)
Sources: The Guardian
