Under the blue waves of the Persian Gulf, steel arteries are quietly extending. Chinese offshore engineering forces have once again opened the door to the high-end market in the Middle East, writing a deep blue legend in the Qatar waters with Asia's leading pipeline laying strength, from equipment going global to general contracting winning the future.

CNOOC Engineering has won the EPIC2 general contract for the redevelopment of Qatar Energy's Maidan Mahzan oil field, undertaking the design, procurement, construction, and installation of over 100 kilometers of subsea pipelines, cables, and umbilical cables.

Details of winning the bid for the new project

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), headquartered in Tianjin, has acquired the Medan Mach Zan EPIC2 project, responsible for engineering design, procurement, construction, and offshore installation, involving a hundred kilometer subsea pipeline, cables, umbilical cables, and supporting offshore facilities. This contract is a key part of the overall redevelopment plan for the Maidan Mahzan oil field. The oil field is located about 110 kilometers northeast of Qatar and was put into operation in 1965.

The performance in the Middle East market is impressive

After winning the bid this time, the total amount of Middle East contracts for CNOOC Engineering in the past three years has exceeded 50 billion yuan. In September 2026, Qatar Energy awarded another EPIC contract for the oil field to Vietnam's PTSC company. The media estimated the contract amount to be about 3 billion US dollars, but the company has not officially confirmed it. The oilfield redevelopment plan includes the development of 45 new wells and four layers of reservoirs, the renovation of existing pipeline racks, the construction of new wellhead facilities, and the upgrading of the subsea pipeline network.

CNOOC Engineering has previously won two major projects in Qatar, BH and NFPS COMP5. The BH EPIC project, signed in October 2025, has a contract value of approximately 4 billion US dollars and is the largest overseas oil and gas EPC project for domestic enterprises. Construction will begin in September 2026. The maximum depth of the project sea area is 40 meters, with the construction of more than 60 offshore facilities and a steel processing capacity of over 130000 tons. The NFPS COMP5 project was awarded to a consortium of CNOOC Engineering and Saipem from Italy, with a total value of approximately 4 billion US dollars, and CNOOC Engineering's share exceeding 800 million US dollars. Keywords: CNOOC Engineering, Qatar EPIC、 Offshore oil and gas

Overseas layout and strength

During the 14th Five Year Plan period, CNOOC Engineering has landed over 170 overseas projects, covering multiple countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, breaking regional records for single projects multiple times. The company has completed iconic overseas projects such as LNG in Canada and Marjan in Saudi Arabia. CNOOC Engineering is headquartered in Tianjin Binhai New Area. There are large offshore construction bases in three places in China, equipped with 19 professional offshore construction ships. The offshore pipe installation and laying capacity is leading in Asia, and its business covers more than 20 countries.Editor/Gong Ziwei