Project Overview

The Petrojarl Rosebank FPSO is the Floating Production, Storage & Offloading (FPSO) Vessel for the Rosebank field. It is the UK’s largest undeveloped Oil & Gas Field, located approximately 130 km north-west of the Shetland Islands. 

The field, estimated to contain 300 million barrels of oil equivalent, is being developed by Adura Operations Limited (a 50:50 joint venture between Equinor UK and Shell UK), with Adura holding an 80% stake and Ithaca Energy the remaining 20%.

The FPSO, formerly known as the Petrojarl Knarr and rechristened the Petrojarl Rosebank, arrived at its field location west of Shetland in May 2026 after extensive upgrades at DP World's drydocks in Dubai. Drilling of production and injection wells is underway. Phase I production is targeted for 2026-2027. 

The Petrojarl Rosebank FPSO will produce approximately 70,000 barrels of oil per day and more than 21 Million Cubic Feet per Day (MMscfd) of gas when operational. Oil will be exported via shuttle tankers to refineries; gas will be transported via a new export pipeline to the West of Shetland Pipeline System and then to the UK national grid. 

The FPSO is designed to be electrification-ready, capable of receiving power from a future power-from-shore connection that Equinor, Adura, and the UK government are exploring for the West of Shetland cluster of fields.

Rosebank FPSO Location

Rosebank FPSO is located in the Faroe-Shetland Channel, on the north-west edge of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). It is about 130 km northwest of Shetland and roughly 15 km east of the UK/Faroe median line. It is under 1,100 m of water and is associated with UKCS Block 205/2a.

Project Background

The project's path to first oil is the most legally complex of any major UK oil development in recent history. The original production consent, granted by the Conservative UK government in September 2023, was ruled unlawful by Scotland's Court of Session on 29 January 2025. 

This ruling followed the UK Supreme Court's landmark June 2024 decision in Finch v Surrey County Council that Environmental Impact Assessments for fossil fuel projects must include an assessment of Scope 3 emissions (the emissions produced when the extracted oil and gas is burned by end users).

Adura has since submitted a new Environmental Impact Assessment incorporating Scope 3 emissions data. The UK's Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) has opened a public consultation that runs until 17 August 2026. 

Despite the legal uncertainty over production consent, Adura and its predecessors continued physical development work throughout. TechnipFMC began subsea installation work in 2024. The Petrojarl Rosebank FPSO departed its Dubai upgrade facility in late February 2026.

Rosebank FPSO Current Status

Rosebank FPSO is currently in the development/pre-start-up phase, with regulatory consultation opening in July 2026 and Phase I start-up still planned for 2026–2027. In May 2026, the vessel had arrived at the Rosebank field location and was being hooked up to the subsea infrastructure. Drilling of Phase I production and injection wells: four producers and three injectors,  is progressing in parallel. 

Stakeholder Details

Rosebank FPSO Project Cost

Project Timeline

Design & Engineering Details

Conclusion

Rosebank FPSO plays a significant role in the redevelopment of the UK North Sea, combining a redeployed FPSO with subsea tie-backs to bring a major undeveloped field into production. The vessel is designed to support domestic energy supply while limiting incremental emissions through reuse of an existing vessel and other mitigation measures. 

Overall, the Rosebank FPSO represents one of the UK’s most significant offshore developments, supporting production performance and execution, along with regulatory scrutiny, environmental expectations, and the evolving energy transition agenda. 

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