Worley Secures Five-Year Renewal of CNOOC North Sea EPC Framework
Worley has renewed its EPC framework with CNOOC International's UK business for five years, covering the Scott, Buzzard and Golden Eagle North Sea assets.
Worley has secured a five-year renewal of its engineering, procurement and construction framework agreement with CNOOC International’s UK business, continuing its support for the Scott, Buzzard and Golden Eagle assets in the UK North Sea.
Announced on 22 September, the renewed agreement covers engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, completions and decommissioning services. Individual scopes may range from like-for-like equipment replacement and complex brownfield modifications to larger project work packages. Worley did not disclose the contract value or whether the agreement includes extension options.
A long-term service framework, not a one-off EPC project
The award is not a single lump-sum EPC contract for a new field development. It is a long-term framework under which work will be called off in stages as operating, integrity and modification requirements emerge across the three assets. The model is intended to reduce disruption to production while supporting safe operation and extending facility life.
Worley said it completed more than 1,100 scopes under the previous framework over 12 years, representing more than five million work hours without a lost-time incident. That delivery record has also given the contractor detailed engineering and site knowledge of the assets.
The companies previously renewed a two-year EPC arrangement in 2021, when more than 200 onshore and offshore personnel supported the three assets from front-end engineering and design through commissioning. Worley also carried out engineering, procurement and construction work for the Buzzard Phase II greenfield module, which was fabricated in Norway before offshore installation.
Mature North Sea assets sustain brownfield demand
Scott, Buzzard and Golden Eagle started production in 1993, 2007 and 2014 respectively. All three are operated by CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited, part of CNOOC International. As major UK North Sea installations mature, recurring brownfield modification, equipment renewal, integrity management and decommissioning preparation are becoming an increasingly important part of the regional engineering-services market.
Compared with greenfield developments, mature-asset scopes are typically smaller and more continuous, and depend heavily on a contractor’s knowledge of existing facilities, shutdown windows and operating constraints. A framework agreement allows the operator to release individual work packages as needs arise without running a full standalone procurement for every replacement or modification.
Graham Swan, Worley’s senior vice president for the UK, said mature offshore operators increasingly need flexible delivery models that balance operating performance, asset integrity and long-term value. The five-year renewal keeps Worley in place to provide engineering support for the safe operation, modification and life extension of CNOOC’s North Sea portfolio.