The oil and gas industry has been active in the West of Shetlands area for the last 40 years, but less than 200 wells have been drilled and only four fields have been developed. In the last ten years activity has picked up significantly with very active licensing rounds and increased drilling; however, the challenges of the complex geology and deep-water location, environmental constraints and commercial considerations have also increased at the same time. To fully develop the region successfully an attitude of compromise and collaboration between all the stakeholders must be nurtured, but with the scale of investment required this will remain a challenge for the future.