A legal challenge over the decision to give consent to the UK’s largest untapped oil field is set to begin.
A judicial review brought jointly by the environment groups Greenpeace and Uplift is due to be heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
The campaigners want to stop the development of Rosebank oil field, which is off Shetland, and the Jackdaw gas field, off Aberdeen. But oil companies say the projects are vital.
If the challenge is successful, operators would have to resubmit environmental impact assessments for approval before drilling can begin.
Consent for drilling in the Rosebank field was granted by the regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), in September last year.
Shell’s proposals to develop the Jackdaw field were approved by the NSTA in 2022, after initially being rejected on environmental grounds.
