China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has appointed Huang Yongzhang as Vice Chairman, Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer, President, and a member of the Strategy and Sustainability Committee.

Huang is a professor-level senior engineer and holds a Doctor of Science degree. He 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 the CNPC Middle East Regional Coordination Committee.

From April 2020 to September 2025, he served as Vice President of China National Petroleum Corporation and concurrently held the role of Chief Safety Officer. From September 2020 to September 2025, he was also a Director of PetroChina, and from March 2021 he concurrently served as President.

Since September 2025, Huang has served as a Director and General Manager of China National Offshore Oil Corporation. His appointment as Chief Executive Officer came three months after CNOOC announced the Qinhuangdao 29-6 oilfield discovery in the shallow Neogene formations of the Bohai Sea, with more than 100 million tonnes of oil equivalent in-place.