Abstract Located 160 km NE of the Shetland Islands in the East Shetland Basin, the Dunlin Cluster comprises four produced fields, Dunlin, Dunlin SW, Osprey and Merlin, in addition to some near-field satellite discoveries, Skye and Block 6. Dunlin was discovered in July 1973 and production began in August 1978. The field was developed using a concrete gravity-base platform, Dunlin Alpha, which also served as the production facility for the rest of the Dunlin Cluster. Osprey was discovered in 1974 but not tied-in until January 1991. Dunlin SW was discovered in 1973 but not brought onto production until 1996. Merlin was discovered in February 1997 and tied-in later that same year. Fairfield Energy acquired the Dunlin Cluster in 2008, and a programme of investment and facilities improvements, primarily in fuel gas infrastructure and power generation, sought to boost water-injection rates and bolster production, thereby extending the life of the asset. Ultimately, the Dunlin Cluster ceased production on 15 June 2015 after having maximized economic hydrocarbon recovery. The total Dunlin Cluster production exceeded 500 MMbbl of oil (Dunlin and Dunlin SW, 395 MMbbl oil; Osprey, 92 MMbbl oil; and Merlin, 27 MMbbl oil).

Abstract The limestone caves of Stoney Middleton Dale are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for features of geological interest, but have been open access since at least the eighteenth century and have a documented history of geotourism. Using the examples of Carlswark Cavern and Merlin Cavern, this chapter sets out evidence that 300 years of open access has resulted in significant disturbance to the features of geological interest. In particular, the integrity of the overall site for scientific research was affected by historical removal of speleothem formations long before it became a SSSI, with damage still occurring today. As most cave SSSIs in Derbyshire have historically had similar open-access arrangements, the examples presented highlight that there is potential for the integrity of less well historically documented caves elsewhere to have been disturbed. This article highlights the importance of establishing a baseline of historical disturbance to recognize whether the integrity of cave SSSIs have been affected and help monitor if disturbance is still occurring. For cave SSSIs to be useful for geological research, it is suggested that there is a need for the historical legacy of open access to individual caves elsewhere to be better understood.