West of Shetland takes centre stage

Exploration in the region may lead to the partial revival of the UK Continental Shelf

Oil firms are increasingly putting the West of Shetland (WoS) at the centre of their recovery plans for the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), marking a major shift from the peripheral role the remote region has played for decades. There have been only sporadic finds in the Scottish hydrocarbons province since the late 1970s. But momentum has accelerated in recent years, as new seismic and drilling technologies have enabled operators to overcome complex geology, deep field locations and UK environmental legislation protecting potentially sensitive habitats. A series of discoveries and successful project launches since 2017 has spiked further exploration. This was underscored by the award of 20 WoS