New North Sea oil drilling faces delay after gear accidentally dropped in sea

The Brent oilfield in the North Sea. Andy Burnham’s government is under pressure from the fossil fuel industry to allow new oil drilling. Photograph: Martin Langer/Alamy View image in fullscreen The Brent oilfield in the North Sea. Andy Burnham’s government is under pressure from the fossil fuel industry to allow new oil drilling. Photograph: Martin Langer/Alamy New North Sea oil drilling faces delay after gear accidentally dropped in sea Exclusive: Blunder at Rosebank, UK’s biggest undeveloped oilfield, comes as government considers granting licence Production at Britain’s biggest undeveloped oil and gasfield could be delayed for months after equipment from a rig was accidentally dropped in the North Sea, the Guardian can reveal. Andy Burnham’s new government is under pressure from the fossil fuel industry to allow oil to be retrieved from the Rosebank site despite opposition from climate campaigners and some Labour MPs . Rosebank, located about 80 miles north-west of Shetland, was believed to be ready to generate oil before the end of the year, pending ministerial approval. Adura, the company responsible for Rosebank, now says it anticipates this will happen at some point in 2027. The field is projected to produce 300m barrels of oil over its 25-year lifespan, according to industry estimates. Some MPs believe enhanced domestic production of oil and gas would help tackle the cost of living, a central focus of the new prime minister, by improving energy security amid global instability, while green campaigners believe the impact on the UK economy of exploiting the fields would be minimal. However, delays at Rosebank mean production at the field will be unlikely to affect the UK’s energy supply over the winter months. Licences for Rosebank and another site, Jackdaw, were granted under the Conservatives but operations were paused after a court challenge by environmental groups. The new energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh , is expected to make a decision on the fields’ future after consultations regarding their emissions conclude in August. North Sea oil industry urges Burnham to approve new drilling in UK waters Read more Earlier this week, Adura told the BBC that the Jackdaw site, about 150 miles east of Aberdeen, could produce gas as early as October. However, preparations for oil production at Rosebank have been hindered by the rig incident, which occurred on 18 April. No workers were hurt, but two central pieces of drilling equipment, including a safety valve, were dropped 1,100 metres on to the seabed. The platform, hired by Adura from Norwegian company Odfjell Drilling, was taken to a shipyard in Bergen for repairs. It is now 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. The Guardian understands this means that some oil wells will be completed significantly behind schedule. Burnham is facing calls from trade unions and opposition parties to