Five-year offshore deal: Worley locks in North Sea dominance with CNOOC
Worley secures a five-year EPC framework renewal with CNOOC UK.
The deal, announced today, extends a 12-year partnership that has delivered over 1,100 scopes of work across CNOOC’s UK Continental Shelf fields, including the Scott, Buzzard, and Golden Eagle assets.
The renewed agreement encompasses a broad range of services, from routine like-for-like replacements to complex brownfield modifications and larger project scopes. Worley’s role will span engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, completions, and decommissioning, ensuring the integrity and performance of CNOOC’s offshore operations in the region. The partnership has already set a benchmark for safety, with more than five million work hours executed without a single lost-time incident over the past 12 years.
The renewal underscores Worley’s long-term commitment to the North Sea, particularly in the Aberdeen area, where the company has become a cornerstone of the regional energy supply chain. As offshore assets mature, operators like CNOOC are increasingly seeking flexible delivery models that balance operational performance, asset integrity, and long-term value, areas where Worley has demonstrated expertise. The agreement also reflects a shared commitment to maintaining high safety standards, a critical factor in the North Sea’s challenging operating environment.
Graham Swan, Senior Vice President for the UK at Worley, highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership:
“This renewal highlights the strength of our long-standing partnership with CNOOC and the consistent performance of our team in the North Sea. As offshore assets mature, operators are increasingly looking for flexible delivery models that balance operational performance, asset integrity and long-term value, and Worley is well positioned to deliver that. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with CNOOC to support safe and efficient operations across their UK assets over the next five years.”
Graham Swan·Senior Vice President for UK at Worley
What the renewed agreement means for the offshore energy sector: North Sea
Worley’s expertise in brownfield modifications and decommissioning positions it as a key partner in this evolving landscape.
For CNOOC, the agreement provides access to Worley’s global resources and local knowledge, ensuring that its UK assets remain competitive. The company’s UK business, part of CNOOC International, operates some of the most technically challenging fields in the North Sea, where efficiency and safety are paramount. The partnership’s focus on flexible delivery models allows CNOOC to adapt to changing market conditions, whether that involves scaling up production or preparing for eventual decommissioning.
The deal also reflects broader trends in the offshore energy sector, where operators are increasingly prioritising partnerships with contractors that can deliver integrated services. Worley’s ability to provide end-to-end solutions, from engineering and procurement to construction and decommissioning, aligns with this shift, offering CNOOC a streamlined approach to managing its assets. This model reduces operational complexity and enhances cost efficiency, which is critical in a basin where margins are under pressure from volatile commodity prices and regulatory demands.
Safety and sustainability: A cornerstone of the partnership
One of the most notable aspects of the Worley-CNOOC partnership is its exemplary safety record. Over the past 12 years, the collaboration has achieved more than five million work hours without a lost-time incident, a feat that underscores the companies’ shared commitment to operational excellence. In the offshore industry, where high-risk environments are the norm, such a track record is a testament to rigorous safety protocols and a culture of accountability.
Safety is not the only priority; sustainability is also becoming a defining factor in offshore operations. Worley’s role in supporting CNOOC’s UK assets includes implementing technologies and practices that enhance efficiency while reducing the carbon footprint of offshore operations. This could involve everything from optimising energy use on platforms to preparing for the eventual decommissioning of assets in an environmentally responsible manner.
The partnership’s focus on sustainability extends beyond individual projects. Both Worley and CNOOC are signatories to industry initiatives aimed at reducing the environmental impact of offshore operations, including the Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) Roadmap to 2035.
This roadmap outlines the sector’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, with interim targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency. By aligning their operations with these goals, Worley and CNOOC are contributing to the broader effort to ensure the North Sea remains a sustainable source of energy for decades to come.
The five-year framework positions Worley to play a pivotal role in the continued development of CNOOC’s UK Continental Shelf assets. The deal also signals confidence in the Aberdeen area’s energy supply chain, which stands to benefit from sustained investment and job creation.
For Worley, the renewal is a testament to its ability to deliver complex offshore projects without compromising on safety or performance. The company’s track record, over 1,100 scopes of work and five million incident-free hours, provides a solid foundation for future collaboration. As the offshore sector evolves, the flexibility and expertise demonstrated by Worley will likely become even more valuable to operators navigating the challenges of mature assets and energy transition.
Looking ahead, the partnership is expected to focus on several key areas. First, the continued maintenance and upgrade of CNOOC’s existing assets, such as the Scott, Buzzard, and Golden Eagle fields, will remain a priority. These fields are critical to the UK’s energy supply, and their efficient operation is essential for meeting domestic demand. Second, the agreement will support CNOOC’s efforts to explore new opportunities within the UKCS, including potential tie-backs and satellite developments that can extend the life of mature fields.
Finally, the partnership will play a role in the broader energy transition. As the UK moves toward its net-zero targets, offshore operators are increasingly looking at ways to integrate renewable energy sources into their operations. This could include hybrid power solutions for offshore platforms, such as wind or hydrogen, as well as the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.
Worley’s expertise in engineering and project management positions it well to support these initiatives, ensuring that CNOOC’s UK assets remain at the forefront of the industry’s transition to a lower-carbon future.
For stakeholders in the North Sea, the renewed agreement offers reassurance that investment in the region’s energy infrastructure will continue. As the offshore sector evolves, partnerships like this one will be essential for navigating the challenges of mature assets, regulatory demands, and the energy transition.
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