A giant steel facility weighing 30,000 metric tons departed on July 24 from Haixi Bay in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, embarking on an 8,000-kilometer voyage to the Persian Gulf.
The facility was tailor-made by Offshore Oil Engineering Co., Ltd. (COOEC), a subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, for Qatar’s North Field Production Sustainability initiative. Qatar's North Field is the largest non-associated natural gas field in the world.
In the global market for offshore engineering equipment, the ability to manufacture according to specific requirements is a key competitive advantage. The oil and gas reservoirs in Qatar’s territorial waters contain high levels of hydrogen sulfide, requiring equipment to boast great anti-corrosion capability. To adapt to the harsh marine environment, the facility makes extensive use of a nickel-based alloy with superior corrosion resistance.
In addition, by leveraging a self-developed intelligent monitoring system and two-stage safety pressure-relief devices, COOEC has independently completed large-scale high-pressure airtight testing, breaking the longstanding monopoly of overseas third parties in this field.
The COOEC subsidiary based in Qingdao has various manufacturing facilities, including a 300,000-ton dry dock, an 800-ton large gantry crane and a 50,000-ton-class slipway. To date, the company has delivered over 600 single units for its global clients. Its product exports have evolved from simple pipelines and corridors to sophisticated modules, with the manufacturing difficulties increasing yet the added value swelling.
According to data released by the Ministry of Natural Resources, in the first quarter of this year, China’s offshore engineering equipment sector increased by 36.4 percent year-on-year in newly signed order value, 60 percent in delivered order value and 8.9 percent in pending order value. China has grown from a simple participant into a key player in the global offshore engineering industrial chain.
In February 2026, COOEC, together with Italy's Saipem, its consortium partner, won the bid for another new project of Qatar’s North Field. The new project doubles the construction workload undertaken by the company and is currently in full preparation.
(Executive editor: Zuo Shihan)
