Two key periods of exploration activity stand out in the history of the East Irish Sea, writes Rob Watts.
The first, during the 1970s, resulted in the discovery of the giant Morecambe Bay gas field, now operated by UK-headquartered Spirit Energy.
The discovery was made largely thanks to the tenacity of petrophysicist John Bains, who pushed British Gas to drill more wells after the original drilling rights to the fields were relinquished following a fruitless search for oil.
