[4] Originally identified by Hess, the site was acquired (along with many other West of Shetland licences) by OMV in 2014, later becoming part of the Siccar Point Energy portfolio.

[15] The first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, stated in November 2021 that she believed the project should not go ahead, prompting criticism from the former head of communications for the Scottish National Party (SNP), David Mutch.

In fact, it gets us unemployment and more imported oil for decades.....I think it is disappointing, I’m not sure it makes a lot of sense and it is also at odds with what the First Minister was saying just last week at the COP26 conference in Glasgow.

[17] However, the Scottish Green Party welcomed the decision from the first minister, with their spokesperson Mark Fuskell stating "She is absolutely right that expanding oil and gas is folly during the pressing climate crisis."

The Scottish section of Friends of The Earth said: "We welcome the First Minister's acknowledgement that there is no credible climate test that the Cambo oil field could ever pass.

[8] In the run-up to the COP 26 environmental summit, accusations by various campaign groups were levelled against the UK and Scottish governments of them being hypocritical over allowing the project to go ahead, whilst maintaining the need to reduce carbon emissions.