The British government on Wednesday green-lit a long-stalled drilling project in the North Sea – a win for the oil industry and President Trump, who has urged UK leaders to ramp up drilling.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham called it a “pragmatic” decision, saying the Jackdaw field off the coast of Scotland will provide up to 40 million barrels of oil over its lifetime and add an estimated $3.8 billion to the UK economy.
He also committed billions of dollars to a new fund to bolster renewable energy development across the country – likely anticipating backlash from environmentalists, who have protested drilling projects over the risk of global warming.
Trump, who has repeatedly pressured British leaders to “open up” the North Sea for drilling, praised the decision in a Wednesday morning Truth Social post.
“Great news for the wealth and prosperity of the United Kingdom, and the wonderful region of Aberdeen. The UK has started drilling in the North Sea, one of the greatest and most prosperous areas of OIL in the World,” the president wrote.
“They should go FULL BLAST!!! This will make the UK very wealthy again.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.