Speculation about upcoming developments prompted President Trump to postexternal on his Truth Social platform that:
“The people of Aberdeen, Scotland, are celebrating as Prime Minister Andy Burnham announces that he will fully open the North Sea oil resources.”
He said it would be a major milestone for the United Kingdom and broadly appreciated by everyone.
While this may be premature, the final details will likely become clear in the coming days and weeks.
It is certain, however, that the new prime minister will not approve the controversial Rosebank and Jackdaw fields on his first day in office.
The operators of those fields received approval from the previous Conservative government, but the decisions are now being reconsidered following a successful legal challenge.
Environmental groups Greenpeace and Uplift argued that ministers failed to assess the full climate impact of burning the fossil fuels that the fields would produce.
Although production facilities are already in place at both sites, the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (Opred) continues a lengthy review process.
The review is now in its final stages.
Both applications are subject to consultations that close in August, and proceeding before those deadlines could expose the government to legal action.
