The decision will ultimately be taken by Energy Security Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh<\/p>\n
Supporters and opponents of the controversial Rosebank oil field have been making their cases as a consultation on the plans draws to a close.<\/p>\n
The industry regulator is considering revised applications for the \u00a38.7bn project off Shetland and the Jackdaw gas field after a court ruled that they had been unlawfully approved.<\/p>\n
Environmental campaign group Uplift, which was behind the successful legal challenge, argues that recent extreme heatwaves and wildfires are evidence that more drilling will "wreck the planet"<\/p>\n
But the boss of oil company Adura, CEO Neil McCulloch, says fossil fuels will be needed for years to come and that producing them domestically will generate billions in tax revenues.<\/p>\n
He told BBC Radio Scotland the Rosebank field was of "low significance" compared with total production globally – but would be "very, very significant" in terms of the jobs it would provide in the north east of Scotland.<\/p>\n
McCulloch said he was confident there was a "balance of advantages" in approving Rosebank and added: "The ball is back now in the government's court."<\/p>\n
The Petroljarl Rosebank production vessel has been floated into position ready for production<\/p>\n
Isobel Reid from Uplift has called on the government to reject the applications, insisting that more drilling will "wreck our planet" and result in more extreme weather.<\/p>\n
"The prime minister must take urgent steps to deal with the root of the problem – burning fossil fuels is what feeds climate change," she said.<\/p>\n
The Rosebank oil field and the Jackdaw gas field, 150 miles east of Aberdeen, had been approved under the previous Conservative government and construction is well under way.<\/p>\n
A legal challenge was brought at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in 2024 which argued that consent was given without fully considering the impact of burning the fossil fuels which will be produced.<\/p>\n
The previous decisions were ruled unlawful and sent back to the regulator Opred to be taken again.<\/p>\n
The judge ruled that the operators could continue preparatory work at the sites but must stop short of producing oil and gas until a final decision had been taken.<\/p>\n
Rosebank is estimated to contain the equivalent of up to 300 million barrels of oil and at its peak will produce approximately 69,000 barrels a day.<\/p>\n