The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) gave consent to owners Equinor and Ithaca Energy to start developing at Rosebank, which is the UK’s biggest untapped oilfield.

An NSTA spokesperson said: “We have today approved the Rosebank Field Development Plan, which allows the owners to proceed with their project.

“The Field Development Plan is awarded in accordance with our published guidance and taking net zero considerations into account throughout the project’s life cycle.”

It announced plans to issue more than 100 new oil and gas drilling licences in October last year in a bid to “boost” the UK’s energy sector, despite backlash from climate scientists.

At the time, business and energy secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg insisted that the new exploration was compatible with the government’s legal commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, stating that the domestic fuel would replace imported fuel and so have a lower carbon footprint in production...