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Shetland - Total has officially launched a huge new gas project in Britain's remote Shetland Islands, hailed by London as a "vote of confidence" in the flagging North Sea oil and gas industry.
The French energy giant officially opened the Shetland Gas Plant in Britain's northernmost outpost, which cost £3.5bn to build.
The plant began processing gas from the Laggan-Tormore fields on February 7. Production has since been ramped up to its full capacity of 500 000 cubic feet of gas (90 000 barrels of oil equivalent) per day.
The fields are expected to last for about 20 years.
The Scottish North Sea oil and gas sector has been reeling from a plunge in oil prices since mid-2014, leading the British government to cut taxes for the industry.
Amber Rudd, the minister in charge of energy and climate change, called the opening of the Shetland project a "vote of confidence in the offshore oil and gas industry.
"North Sea oil and gas is crucial to our energy mix.
"We are 100% committed to helping our oil and gas industry attract investment, unlock new potential and remain competitive."
The Laggan-Tormore fields lie about 125km northwest of Shetland.
