Discovery to Tie-Back: The Future of North Sea Gas
About
From Discovery to Tie-Back: Where Should the UK's Gas Come From?
This talk explores a subject I have spent much of my career working on: how we discover and develop gas resources in the North Sea.
We will follow the journey from seismic surveys, exploration and appraisal through to field development, before looking at two different approaches to connecting new gas resources to existing infrastructure: the Arran subsea tie-back and the Jackdaw platform tie-back.
However, the engineering is only part of the story.
The UK continues to rely heavily on natural gas and, as North Sea production declines, an increasing proportion will need to be imported unless new domestic resources are brought into production.
Stepping back from the politics, we will examine some of the key questions and data behind the debate:
• What happens if no further UK production is approved?
• What could fields within existing licences deliver, and how much potential may still remain undiscovered?
• Why can the supply chain emissions associated with imported LNG be significantly higher than those of some UK-produced gas?
• What is the true cost of importing gas, beyond the purchase price, in terms of lost investment, economic activity and tax revenues?
• What does increasing dependence on imported gas mean for the UK's energy security?
We will compare UK-produced gas, Norwegian pipeline gas and imported LNG across emissions, economic value, fiscal contribution and energy security.
There is no shortage of political debate around these issues. The aim of this talk is much simpler:
Look at the engineering.
Look at the data.
Understand the choices.
Because if the UK is going to continue using gas throughout the energy transition, there is one fundamental question we need to answer:
Where should that gas come from?
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Continuing Professional Development
This event can contribute towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours as part of the IET's CPD monitoring scheme.
16 Sep 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Organiser
- Scotland North Local Network
Speakers
Doug Mackay
Developments Manager, Dana Petroleum Ltd.
Douglas Mackay is a Chartered Engineer with more than 40 years' experience in the energy industry, spanning nuclear, offshore oil and gas, field developments, and the transition to lower-carbon energy.
He began his career as an apprentice at UKAEA Dounreay before moving into the offshore oil and gas sector, where he has held senior engineering and leadership roles across the full asset lifecycle, from exploration and appraisal through to field development and production. He currently works with Dana Petroleum in Aberdeen, focusing on North Sea field development, subsea tie-backs, and opportunities to reduce emissions associated with offshore production.
Douglas has also worked closely with the North Sea Transition Authority on industry initiatives, including chairing its Asset Stewardship Task Force focused on low-carbon power.
Originally from Keiss in Caithness, Douglas is passionate about engineering, skills development, and the economic opportunities created by the energy industry across the north of Scotland. He is Chair of the IET Scotland North Local Network and Chair of Scrabster Harbour Trust.
Through his work with the IET, Douglas is particularly interested in making complex engineering and energy issues accessible to a wider audience, encouraging informed discussion based on engineering evidence, data, and practical experience.