New CEO takes the reins at Chinese giant oil & gas firm

March 23, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Chinese state-owned oil and gas giant China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has revealed the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

CNOOC has appointed Huang Yongzhang as the Vice Chairman, Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer, President, and a member of the Strategy and Sustainability Committee.

Yongzhang, who is a professor-level senior engineer with a Doctor of Science degree, previously served as Vice President of CNPC International (Nile), Vice President and Chief Safety Officer of China Oil Exploration and Development Corporation, Executive Vice President and President of CNPC Middle East Corporation, and Director of CNPC Middle East Regional Coordination Committee.

While he acted as Vice President of China National Petroleum Corporation from April 2020 to September 2025, concurrently serving as the Chief Safety Officer, CNOOC’s CEO also served as a Director of PetroChina from September 2020 to September 2025, concurrently acting as President from March 2021.

Yongzhang has served as a Director and the General Manager of China National Offshore Oil Corporation since September 2025.

The CEO appointment comes three months after CNOOC announced the Qinhuangdao 29-6 oilfield discovery in the shallow Neogene formations of the Bohai Sea, adding over 100 million tons of oil equivalent in-place.