Residents protest government’s latest oil field decision in the north

FROME residents gathered outside of Frome Town Hall to protest against the government’s decision to drill into the Rosebank oil field located off the Scottish coast.

Environmental protesters gathered on Wednesday 4th October, with banners objecting to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to drill at the Rosebank site that the government say will secure oil supplies in the UK.

Rosebank is located 80 miles northwest of Shetland, “It is the biggest undeveloped oil field in the UK,” says Vicki Chillcott, who was one of the residents campaigning. “Rosebank is a huge climate issue. Scientists have warned global leaders time and time again that governments can’t allow any more new oil and gas if we want to limit global warming to 1.5C.

“Just burning the fossil fuels in existing UK oil and gas fields will contribute to pushing us past ‘safe’ climate limits. And adding new reserves, like Rosebank, will push us closer to more parts of our world becoming uninhabitable. It would bust climate targets, undermining the government’s climate commitments.

“The energy crisis and the climate crisis are caused by our reliance on expensive fossil fuels. We need a rapid transition to renewable energy, insulating millions of leaky homes, and investing in secure green jobs for current oil and gas workers.

“We say no more. No more tax breaks for oil giants. No more skyrocketing energy bills. No more oil fields that ruin our chances at a liveable future.”

The field is expected to start producing oil from 2026 and the government says it could account of 8% of the UK’s total oil production between 2026 and 2030.