The Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea has been allowed to start production after years of debates and legal wrangling - but a decision is yet to be taken on the Rosebank oil field in the North Atlantic.
Industry bodies argue that the sites could provide jobs and improve the UK's energy security as overseas conflicts threaten supply.
However, environmentalists insist that more drilling would hamper efforts to cut planet-warming carbon emissions as deadly heatwaves and extreme weather affect billions across the globe.
BBC Scotland editor James Cook is at Rosebank, which is scheduled to be up and running by 2027 if approved by the government.