CNOOC gears up for offshore challenge
China’s state-controlled offshore specialist is looking to bump up output again this year is it turns its attention to more-difficult assets
CNOOC’s plans to expand production after robust growth last year underline the growing importance of offshore fields for maintaining homegrown oil and gas supply, as the Chinese offshore specialist ramps up spending to convert deeper, more challenging resources into production assets. CNOOC aims to produce 700–720m boe this year, which would be an increase of 3.7–6.7% from last year’s higher-than-expected output of c.675m boe, according to the NOC’s recent annual strategy preview. The company had estimated a year ago that it would produce 650–660m boe for 2023. Looking ahead, CNOOC aims to ramp output to 780–800m boe in 2025 and 810–830m boe in 2026. The target range for next year is an impr
Also in this section
30 December 2025
Heightened unpredictability in the global energy market underlines the vital nature of UGS, which provides reliability, affordability and resilience
29 December 2025
The surge in power demand created by the AI boom means energy policy and national security are now one and the same
24 December 2025
As activity in the US Gulf has stagnated at a lower level, the government is taking steps to encourage fresh exploration and bolster field development work
23 December 2025
The new government has brought stability and security to the country, with the door now open to international investment






