In the first half of 2026, Chinese oil and gas engineering companies won over 6.7 billion US dollars in orders overseas, with three large orders spanning across Central Asia and Africa, covering three major tracks: gas field development, petrochemical refining, and chemical raw materials, setting a new high for the same period in recent years.

Turkmenistan's $4.6 billion gas field big deal

CNPC Engineering has won the bid for the fourth phase of the Turkmenistan Renaissance Gas Field, with a contract value of 4.614 billion US dollars, making it the largest single overseas oil and gas order for a Chinese enterprise since 2026. Fuxing Gas Field is the second largest gas field in Turkmenistan, with the fourth phase expansion goal of increasing annual production capacity by about 30%, mainly supplying gas to the Chinese market. The project adopts the full process EPC mode, with CNPC Engineering responsible for design, procurement, and construction. It is planned to be put into operation in mid-2027. As of May 2026, the preliminary exploration has been completed and the construction preparation phase has officially begun.

Zambian refineries leverage the African market

China National Chemical Corporation has signed a contract for the first phase of Zambia Petrochemical Refinery, with a contract value exceeding 1 billion US dollars, which is its first large-scale refining project in sub Saharan Africa. The refinery is designed to have an annual production capacity of approximately 3 million tons of refined oil, directly addressing the pain points of Zambia and neighboring countries' long-term dependence on fuel imports. Part of the project funding comes from the African Development Bank, and preliminary design approval has been obtained in Q2 2026, with the possibility of starting construction within the year.

Kazakhstan rubber chain further extended

Sinopec Refining and Chemical Engineering has won the contract for the butadiene and rubber project in Kazakhstan, with a contract amount of approximately 1.093 billion US dollars. The project will be located in Atyrau Oblast and will convert C4 resources on-site to produce synthetic rubber. This is another layout of Sinopec's downstream refining in Central Asia, forming an industrial chain loop with its existing refining facilities in the local area.

The total value of the three orders exceeds 6.7 billion US dollars, reflecting the transformation of Chinese oil and gas engineering companies from simple construction to full chain output of "investment+EPC+operation". Central Asia is still the foundation, and Africa has become the new growth pole, but technological barriers and localization requirements will be the core competitive points in the next stage.Editor/Cheng Liting