Morning, Friday, 27th November 2026
Online
This conference will examine the future role of oil and gas in the UK energy system.
Discussion will focus on priorities for North Sea production, basin management and energy security, the UK’s downstream oil sector and gas networks, investment, infrastructure and workforce transition, and longer-term strategy for the UK’s energy system.
It will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers following the anticipated Energy Independence Bill, alongside ongoing parliamentary scrutiny of the role of domestic oil and gas in the UK energy mix, and wider debate around energy security, net zero, affordability and industrial competitiveness.
With development of the Jackdaw gas field now approved by government and the final ministerial decision on Rosebank expected later this year, the agenda will look at priorities for stewardship of the UK Continental Shelf. Potential implications of the Jackdaw project will be assessed, particularly for short-term and long-term management of energy costs, energy security, environmental sustainability and regional economic resilience. We expect discussion on the role of imported and value-chain emissions reductions in the UK’s transition towards net zero and priorities for progress towards a low-carbon economy, amid concerns around energy independence and industrial resilience.
Delegates will examine plans to reinvest tax revenues from North Sea oil and gas into renewables and clean energy via a new Energy Wealth Fund announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, alongside an initial £2bn funding package. Attendees will explore the extent to which this investment can support renewables deployment and workforce reskilling at the scale required for a fair transition.
The agenda will also reflect wider debate surrounding the proposed statutory ban on new exploration licences for North Sea production and infrastructure, alongside approaches to managing existing fields, proposals for supporting a just transition in the North Sea Future Plan, and associated regional economic impacts. Delegates will also assess priorities for resilient downstream supply and gas system management, including refining capacity, investment confidence, and issues arising from the Government’s recent consultations on gas supply security and the future of the downstream oil sector.
Production, North Sea basin management & energy security
Sessions will examine policy priorities and practical considerations for stewardship of the North Sea basin, including the relationship between investment and fiscal frameworks, offshore emissions regulation, and wider objectives for energy security, net zero and statutory carbon budgets. Discussion will also consider how these priorities relate to business planning and investment decisions, supply chain capability and changing geopolitical conditions.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- future role of the basin:
- next steps for domestic oil and gas production - proposed changes to licensing and consenting
- stewardship of remaining resources - lifespan of existing assets - sector resilience and affected regional economies
- regulatory framework:
- proposed Energy Transition Certificates - increased environmental scrutiny of projects, including Scope 3 emissions
- Jackdaw gas field:
- potential environmental impact and mitigation options - implications for gas supply and energy security - expected production and emissions profiles
- lessons from the re-consenting process - anticipated decision on Rosebank
- fiscal reform:
- planned end of the Energy Profits Levy, currently extended until March 2030 - timing of transition to the Oil and Gas Price Mechanism
- planned introduction of the Oil and Gas Revenue Levy via a Finance Bill 2026-27
- interaction with the Energy Security Investment Mechanism
- establishment of new Energy Wealth Fund - reinvestment of North Sea oil and gas revenue into clean energy deployment - implications for fiscal regime - financing transition
- investment:
- implications of changes to the tax and investment framework for upstream oil and gas - relationship between licensing policy and investment confidence
- supply chain resilience - the UK’s international competitiveness
Skills & infrastructure stewardship
Further sessions will look at implications of changes in North Sea activity and policy transition for regions and workforces with a strong dependence on the sector - particularly in North East Scotland - alongside considerations for skills transition, decommissioning and infrastructure reuse.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- skills transition:
- implications of the launch of the North Sea Jobs Service later this year, the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund, and the Energy Skills Passport, now in active rollout
- workforce redeployment - labour planning across clean energy sectors - resilience of local economies - potential role of the Energy Wealth Fund
- pace of transition - North Sea Transition Taskforce: One Year On report - rate and scale of change versus adaptation ambitions - workforce protection
- infrastructure: safe retirement of ageing infrastructure - repurposing assets for carbon capture utilisation and storage, hydrogen and related transitional energy uses
- decommissioning: implications of OPRED’s charging regime reform - burdens and predictability of costs - timing signals for asset retirement - approaches to regulatory oversight
Downstream competitiveness & supply chain resilience
With the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero currently reviewing feedback on the Future of the UK downstream oil sector consultation, delegates will discuss priorities for refinery resilience, industrial competitiveness, fuel security and adaptation to changing patterns of demand.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- sector competitiveness: options for supporting UK refineries in the face of energy, operating and carbon costs, and increasingly globalised markets
- carbon costs:
- policy options for providing greater clarity on future carbon costs - proposals for refineries to be included in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
- design of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, including the cap trajectory, expected price ranges and free allocation rules
- low-carbon refining:
- priorities for attracting investment to upgrade refinery infrastructure and decarbonise operations - adaptation pathways for downstream operations
- the future role of low-carbon inputs, including bio-feedstocks, hydrogen and biogas
- strategic risks: implications of overseas emissions, import reliance, investor confidence and downstream resilience for fuel security and industrial competitiveness
- low-carbon fuels: the emergence of waste-to-fuel pathways - priorities for supporting sector decarbonisation and wider development of sustainable aviation fuel, biofuels and e-fuels
- consumer protection, fuel security and affordability:
- considerations for the retail supply of heating oil for domestic use following the Competition and Markets Authority’s recently published market study
- extension of 5 pence per litre cut to main rates of fuel duty - further 3.7 pence per litre cut to rebated red diesel rates until June 2027
- regulatory priorities for continuity of supply, dispute reduction, tackling energy poverty and managing market shocks
Security of supply & gas network management
Further sessions will explore the future role of gas in the UK energy mix, following the Government's interim response to the DESNZ Gas system in transition: security of supply consultation. Delegates will assess the report’s conclusions regarding potential risks to gas supply security, in particular those arising from high stress scenarios, as well as strategic and practical considerations for maintaining security of supply, network resilience and the future role of gas within the wider energy system.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- security of supply:
- strategic and practical considerations for baseload supply - network capacity and balancing - managing stress events and system-wide resilience
- UK national risk assessment on security of gas supply 2026 - diverse sources of supply - geopolitical instability and global competition
- energy security:
- implications of declining domestic production and increased import reliance - priorities for diversification - exposure to global price volatility
- implications of Jackdaw consenting - realising production ambitions up to 6% of UK gas output - shorter-term and longer-term supply contribution
- gas networks: the future role alongside widespread electrification - long-term utilisation of the network - implications for hard-to-electrify sectors and off-grid homes
- network decarbonisation:
- opportunities for gas networks - hydrogen blending and other innovations - implications for the future role of gas infrastructure
- decision to scrap the planned Gas Shipper Obligation - £500m reduction in hydrogen capital grants
- affordability:
- removal of standing charges from household gas bills - transition to a unit rate for fixed costs
- implications of £2.6bn Household Energy Payment - potential options for targeted mitigation - aim to reduce exposure to global gas market volatility in 2028-30
- stocks and reserves:
- European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas’s 2026-2027 Winter Supply Outlook report suggesting the UK is vulnerable to a potential gas crisis this winter
- reliance on EU backup gas storage - costs of importing US LNG - weather impacts
- DESNZ consultation: policy and market intervention options under consideration - proposals for financial support schemes for infrastructure upgrades and flexible capacity - potential regulatory reform - assessing viability of a strategic gas storage reserve
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include a parliamentary pass-holder from the House of Commons and officials from the Climate Change Committee; Department for the Economy, NI; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade; Department for the Economy, NI; HM Revenue and Customs; HM Treasury; Ofgem; Maritime and Coastguard Agency; National Audit Office; Ministry of Defence; Office for Investment; Isle of Man Government; Office for Investment; National Wealth Fund; and the Welsh Government.
