The production of oil and bus gas and equine is blocked on sites off the British coast

A court in Scotland blocked the production of oil and gas Thursday in two major project sites under development in British waters until their impact on climate change can be assessed.

The decision was a hard blow for the developers of the sites, Shell and the Norwegian company Equinor, who have already spent or hired hundreds of millions of books for the projects. But judge Andrew Stewart, from the Scottish Session Court, said companies could continue to drill wells and carry out other work on the sites until the government decides if they could produce oil and the gas.

The fields of oil and natural gas, called Jackdaw and Rosebank, are considered tests for the British oil industry on robbery due to their size and because Shell and Equinor are two of the largest energy companies in Europe. Jackdaw was to start producing in 2026, while Rosebank had to put himself online in 2026 or 2027.

Uplift, an environmental group, who joined Greenpeace in a trial to stop production, called the “a significant victory” decision.

The decision shows insofar as groups of activists can use courts in Great Britain to block or hinder activities such as drilling for oil and gas which, they say, could threaten the environment.

The oil companies praised the concession of the judge which allows them to continue work, but Shell recalled the quantity at stake.