A major milestone for the North Sea oil industry has been reached today following the announcement of first oil from one of its biggest projects.
BP has started pumping oil from its sub-£5 billion Clair Ridge project, some seven years after the investment was sanctioned.
Clair Ridge, the second phase of development of a giant formation west of Shetland, has created employment for thousands of people and put more than £1.5bn in the coffers of UK suppliers.
BP and partners are targeting more than 600 million barrels of oil from the project over the next 40 years.
The energy major said the achievement was a culmination of “decades of persistence”. And BP said the investment demonstrated its commitment to the UK North Sea.
Industry leaders applauded the company for its efforts and described the west of Shetland basin as the UK continental shelf’s most promising region.
Watch the video footage above for a behind the scenes look at the project.
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