The Global Energy Project Landscape Continues to Evolve
Across oil and gas, LNG, offshore wind, power infrastructure and other major energy developments, billions of dollars are being committed to projects that will move through engineering, construction, commissioning and operations over the coming years.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), worldwide energy investment is expected to reach a record $3.4 trillion in 2026, around 5% higher than in 2025. Approximately $2.2 trillion is expected to go into clean-energy technologies and infrastructure, with around $1.2 trillion directed towards oil, natural gas and coal.
For energy professionals, however, the headline investment figure only tells part of the story.
The more useful questions are: Where are projects actually progressing? What stage are they at? And which skills could become increasingly important as those projects move towards execution, commissioning and operations?
Here are some of the global project hotspots worth watching as we head towards 2027.
Middle East: Major Energy Investment Continues
The Middle East remains one of the world’s most important energy regions, with large-scale developments across upstream oil and gas, LNG, processing and associated infrastructure.
Qatar’s huge North Field expansion remains particularly significant for the global LNG market. However, recent geopolitical disruption has introduced uncertainty into project schedules. QatarEnergy said in September that the first North Field East train remained targeted for production in early 2027, while later phases could face delays following disruption to equipment deliveries and damage at Ras Laffan.
This is an important reminder for anyone following global projects: large project pipelines do not automatically translate into fixed recruitment dates.
Schedules move.
For professionals monitoring the region, relevant disciplines across major developments can include:
- Commissioning and completions
- Mechanical and piping
- Electrical and instrumentation
- Process and operations
- QA/QC and inspection
- HSE
- Construction and project management
The opportunity is therefore not simply to identify a major project, but to understand where it sits in its lifecycle.
Africa: LNG Developments Back in Focus
Africa is another region to watch closely, particularly for LNG.
The IEA’s Global LNG Capacity Tracker shows several African developments under construction. These include Nigeria LNG Train 7, currently expected to deliver first LNG in 2027, Coral North FLNG in Mozambique targeting 2028, and the restarted Mozambique LNG development targeting 2029.
Mozambique is especially interesting.
Construction on Mozambique LNG resumed in January 2026 after a prolonged suspension, while activity around further development continues. Saipem announced in August that its joint venture had signed a letter of intent covering preliminary engineering and procurement activities for Rovuma LNG Phase 1, with the main EPC award dependent on FID and regulatory approvals.
For the workforce, projects of this scale can eventually require expertise across the entire project lifecycle:
- Engineering
- Procurement
- Construction
- Completions
- Commissioning
- Start-up
- Operations
That distinction matters.
A project receiving FID today does not necessarily need hundreds of commissioning personnel tomorrow. Different disciplines enter the project at different stages.
For candidates planning their careers, understanding that sequence can provide a much better indication of when their particular skills may become relevant.
North America: LNG and Gas Infrastructure Continue to Expand
North America remains another major area of activity.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects U.S. LNG exports to continue increasing as new export projects start and ramp up through the end of 2027. Its April 2026 forecast projected U.S. LNG exports increasing by another 9% in 2027 after growth during 2026.
And it isn’t only the LNG terminals themselves.
The EIA says developers plan to bring approximately 44.9 billion cubic feet per day of new U.S. natural-gas pipeline capacity online during 2026 and 2027, with around 70% of that capacity already under construction at the time of its May assessment. Texas accounts for the majority of the planned additions.
Meanwhile, the next expansion at Sabine Pass LNG in Louisiana has moved into early EPC activity, with full construction expected to begin in early 2027.
This combination of LNG, pipelines and associated infrastructure creates a much broader project ecosystem than the headline LNG facilities alone.
For experienced energy professionals, that can mean potential future demand across:
- E&I
- Mechanical
- Piping
- Construction
- QA/QC
- Completions
- Commissioning
- Operations
- HSE
- Project Controls
Europe and the North Sea: A Broader Energy Market
Europe presents a different picture.
Traditional offshore energy remains important, but the workforce landscape is increasingly spread across offshore wind, grids, power generation and other infrastructure alongside oil and gas.
Germany’s Nordseecluster demonstrates the scale of some of these developments.
The 1.6 GW offshore wind project is being developed in two phases. Turbine installation for the 660 MW Nordseecluster A phase began in 2026, with full commissioning scheduled for early 2027. The second 900 MW phase is scheduled to follow later.
Denmark and Germany are also progressing the Bornholm Energy Island project, designed to connect 3 GW of offshore wind generation to both national grids.
For workers coming from oil and gas, this changing project mix is significant.
Many of the fundamental project skills remain relevant:
- Commissioning
- Electrical systems
- Mechanical systems
- HV
- Controls and instrumentation
- QA/QC
- HSE
- Construction management
- Project management
The equipment, standards and sector-specific knowledge may change, but the underlying experience of safely delivering complex energy infrastructure can remain highly valuable.
Asia-Pacific: LNG Remains Part of the Picture
Asia-Pacific also has a significant LNG development pipeline.
The IEA currently lists projects including Genting FLNG in Indonesia and ZFLNG in Malaysia as under construction with first LNG targeted for 2027. Australia’s Pluto LNG Train 2 is also part of the current capacity expansion cycle.
More broadly, the scale of the global LNG build-out is substantial.
The IEA estimates that around 345 billion cubic metres per year of new LNG export capacity from projects that had already reached FID and were under construction is expected to come online globally between 2025 and 2030 — the largest wave of LNG capacity additions to date.
That has implications beyond LNG operators themselves.
Major developments create requirements across EPC contractors, vendors, fabrication yards, specialist service companies, commissioning organisations and ultimately operations teams.
Don’t Just Follow Jobs — Follow Projects
For energy professionals, one of the most useful career habits is to look beyond today’s vacancy list.
Follow the projects.
Understand their timelines.
Look at where FIDs have been taken, where EPC contracts are being awarded, where construction is accelerating and where facilities are approaching mechanical completion, commissioning and start-up.
A major project generally progresses through recognisable stages:
- Concept & FEED
- FID
- Detailed Engineering
- Procurement
- Fabrication & Construction
- Mechanical Completion
- Completions
- Commissioning
- Start-up
- Operations
And the workforce changes with it.
Someone working in construction may enter a project considerably earlier than a commissioning technician. Operations personnel may become increasingly important as handover approaches.
Understanding where a project is in that journey can therefore be just as important as knowing that the project exists.
What Should Energy Professionals Be Doing Now?
Don’t wait until a project reaches peak recruitment before thinking about your next move.
Keep your CV current.
Make sure your project history clearly shows what you actually delivered, rather than simply listing job titles.
Record the systems, equipment, project phases and responsibilities you’ve worked with.
And increasingly, look beyond your existing sector.
An electrical, mechanical or commissioning professional who has spent 15 years in oil and gas may have skills relevant to LNG, offshore wind, power generation or mission-critical infrastructure — but employers need to be able to understand that experience.
The strongest careers over the next decade may not necessarily belong to people who stay within one sector.
They may belong to people who understand which of their skills are transferable and where major projects are heading next.
Build Visibility Before Peak Hiring
Energy Recruitment HUB is building a global platform connecting energy professionals, recruiters and opportunities across traditional and emerging energy markets.
Candidates can create an ERH profile, upload their CV and make their experience searchable to recruiters looking for relevant talent.
Through Career Pathways, Career Intelligence and ERH’s wider career tools, professionals can also explore where their existing experience could take them next.
Don’t just search for the job that’s available today. Position yourself for the projects that are coming tomorrow.