On September 15, 2026, at the Qingdao International High end Equipment Manufacturing Base in Shandong Province, the construction of the Qatar Bul Hanine BH-EPIC oil field general contracting project, contracted by China National Offshore Oil Corporation's CNOOC Engineering, officially began. This is currently the international marine oil and gas engineering general contracting project with the largest contract amount, widest business scope, and highest comprehensive construction difficulty undertaken by Chinese enterprises, with a total contract amount of approximately 4 billion US dollars. The commencement of this project is for the construction of onshore modules, and the installation and commissioning at the offshore site will be completed in the future. The project is located about 100 kilometers east of the coastline of Qatar, with a maximum depth of about 40 meters in the operating area. It is invested and developed by Qatar Energy Company.

Jumping from subcontracting to EPIC general contracting

The contract amount of 4 billion US dollars marks another leap in the role of CNOOC Engineering in the international offshore oil and gas engineering market. According to CNOOC Engineering, during the 14th Five Year Plan period, the company has undertaken more than 170 overseas projects, covering multiple markets such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Thailand, and Uganda, and has repeatedly broken the historical record of single project contract amounts for Chinese enterprises in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and other regions. The company has achieved a transformation from an engineering subcontractor to an international engineering general contractor, and then to a comprehensive international engineering general contractor. The project includes the construction of more than 60 individual offshore oil and gas facilities and 40 submarine pipelines, as well as the implementation of in-service platform renovation and dismantling of abandoned platforms. The total amount of steel processing exceeds 130000 tons, covering the entire chain of engineering design, procurement, construction, transportation, installation, commissioning and other operations.

The general contracting platform drives the industry chain to go global

For readers engaged in foreign trade and supply chain, the BH-EPIC project is more noteworthy for the industrial chain driving effect played by CNOOC Engineering as the general contractor. According to Tianjin Radio and Television Station, CNOOC Engineering Middle East Company fully leverages the advantages of the general contractor platform to promote high-quality enterprises from Tianjin to go global, covering various aspects such as specialized steel, tight steel pipes, large core valves, and submarine cables. CNOOC Engineering Middle East Company was established in Tianjin in May 2026, and is currently promoting the simultaneous implementation of multiple Middle East projects. In the RUYA project in Qatar, CNOOC Engineering actively recommended domestic suppliers to the owners based on the Tianjin Marine Equipment Industry Alliance, successfully promoting multiple domestic enterprises to enter the shortlist of qualified suppliers for Qatar owners, achieving domestic substitution of seamless steel pipes, bent pipes, anodes, and steel pipe coatings. It should be clarified that the general contractor has the authority to recommend suppliers, but the final decision on whether to enter the list and obtain purchase orders is in the hands of the owners such as Qatar Energy, and still needs to undergo rigorous qualification review by the owners. Keywords: Infrastructure News Network, Offshore Oil Fields, Central Enterprise Reports

Middle East offshore market general contracting dividend

The general contracting dividend of the Middle East offshore oil and gas engineering market is being released. The $4 billion BH-EPIC project and the ongoing deep cultivation of the Qatar market have formed a project cluster effect in the layout of CNOOC Engineering in the Middle East. However, it should be noted that Middle Eastern oil and gas owners have strict admission standards for supplier qualifications, performance, and HSE systems. Entering the qualified supplier list is only the first step, and whether an order can be obtained depends on product competitiveness, delivery capability, and price conditions. CNOOC Engineering has grown from a subcontractor to a comprehensive general contractor, bringing not only an increase in its own contract amount, but also the ability to drive the entire domestic supply chain. However, the competitive landscape of the international offshore market has not changed, and China's supply chain entering the Middle East market still faces competition from local suppliers in South Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. It cannot be simply understood as orders automatically tilting towards the Chinese supply chain.Editor/Gao Xue