The field is located in blocks 204/20 and 204/25 of the United Kingdom Continental Shelf in a water depth of 350 to 450 metres (1,150 to 1,480 ft).

The combined development of the Schiehallion and Loyal fields was sanctioned in April 1996 and the oil production started on 29 July 1998.

The vessel was constructed at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, and handed over to operator BP on 31 December 1997.

[2] Oil and gas are produced from subsea wells via manifolds and rigid flowlines to a location underneath the vessel.

[5] Produced water from the First Stage Separator flows to hydrocyclones where oil is removed prior to overboard disposal.

[5] Oil is exported primarily to the Sullom Voe Terminal by the dynamically positioned shuttle tanker Loch Rannoch delivered in August 1998, and operated by BP Shipping.

[1] After more than a decade working in the harsh North Atlantic, the Schiehallion FPSO was in a poor condition, and required significant maintenance and repairs, which could only be performed in the summer season because of the hostile weather in the region.

As a consequence, Production was suspended at the start of 2013 to allow preparation for a £3 billion redevelopment of the greater Schiehallion field area.

An FPSO, (the Glen Lyon), new seabed infrastructure and subsea technology will play a major part in the redevelopment of these fields, as will the use of a new enhanced oil recovery scheme.

The Schiehallion FPSO was sold to a third-party and eventually sent to Alang shipbreaking yard in India, which is notorious for the unsafe disposal of vessels and materials related to the oil and gas industry.