(Yicai) Feb. 2 -- Offshore Oil Engineering, the engineering arm of Chinese offshore oil explorer China National Offshore Oil, has secured a USD900 million engineering, procurement, and construction contract for a project in Qatar.

Offshore Oil Engineering will design, build, and install 38 submarine oil and gas pipelines, nine submarine compound cables, and related facilities for the AI-Shaheen oilfield exploitation project in Qatar, the Tianjin-based firm announced yesterday, citing a deal it signed with the oilfield’s operator North Oil.

The construction period is expected to be five years and four months, Offshore Oil Engineering noted.

The deal shows that Offshore Oil Engineering’s EPC contracting abilities have been recognized and trusted in the Middle East and will help the company develop in overseas markets, Offshore Oil Engineering added.

The Al-Shaheen oilfield is Qatar’s largest oilfield. Qatar Energy is advancing the next development stage of the oilfield. North Oil is a 70:30 joint venture between Qatar Energy and Total Energies.

Shares of Offshore Oil Engineering [SHA: 600583]were trading down 2 percent at CNY5.37 (76 US cents) as of lunch break in Shanghai today. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.7 percent.

Editor: Futura Costaglione