Thank you for contacting me about Rosebank.
I believe we can only guarantee our security and prosperity in an unstable world if we produce our own cheap, reliable energy. That means continuing the progress we have made on renewables but also drilling in the North Sea and expanding other sources of generation. This is the only way we can protect families from rising bills, keep the cost of energy down for businesses, and control inflation.
Turning our backs on domestic gas that could heat millions of homes would be madness in normal times, but it is sheer lunacy in the midst of a gas supply crisis. Both the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields have been delayed by the Government. Rosebank is the largest known undeveloped oil and gas field in UK waters and is estimated to contain between 300 million and 500 million barrels of oil. Jackdaw was expected to produce 6.5 per cent of the UK's gas production and provide enough fuel to heat 1.6 million homes. That is enough to power Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex put together.
Given our ongoing need for fossil fuels in the medium term, I think it would be sensible to use our domestic sources rather than to import.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me