Worley (company)
 Logo introduced in 2023 | |
| Company type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Engineering, Professional services |
| Founded | 1976 in Australia |
| Founder | John Grill (founder of predecessor Wholohan Grill and Partners) |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Worldwide (51 countries as of 2019) |
Key people | Chris Ashton (CEO since February 2020) |
| Products | Consulting and project execution expertise for resources, energy, and complex process industries |
Number of employees | 57,600 (2019) |
| Website | www |
Worley Limited is an Australian-based engineering and professional services firm that delivers consulting and project execution expertise to the resources, energy, and complex process industries.
Early history
John Grill, who served as CEO from 1975 to 2012, began his career at Smith, de Kantzow & Wholohan. This involvement led to the establishment of Wholohan Grill and Partners in 1976, a modest engineering consultancy in Australia that experienced steady development throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1987, Wholohan Grill and Partners took over the Australian operations of Worley, an American engineering company founded by Steve Worley. Following this acquisition, the firm adopted the Worley name and expanded its presence consistently, securing enduring contracts across Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. It also formed joint ventures in these regions that continue to operate.
Throughout the 1990s, Worley broadened its focus beyond hydrocarbons to include sectors such as power generation, infrastructure, environmental services, and minerals and metals. The company also extended its geographical footprint. By the year 2000, Worley had established 30 offices worldwide with a workforce of approximately 3,000 employees, positioning itself for further expansion through strategic partnerships and acquisitions.
2000s
Worley went public on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2002, marking the beginning of a period characterized by international acquisitions including firms located in Canada, Oman, and China. In 2004, Worley acquired Parsons E&C—a company with origins dating back to 1944 that had separated from Parsons Corporation in 2002. This merger resulted in the combined entity operating under the name WorleyParsons.
Subsequent acquisitions broadened the company's sector expertise: Astron (2004); Komex, known for environmental services (2005); DRPL in power; TMG and Watkins & Godwin focusing on infrastructure; HG Engineering, Gas Cleaning Technologies, and Jones & Jones within minerals and metals—thereby enhancing both service offerings and geographic coverage.
WorleyParsons entered the South American market in 2006 through a joint venture with Chilean engineering leader ARA, specializing in base metals and infrastructure. In 2007, it acquired Colt Companies—the largest engineering and project services firm in Canada. That same year included purchases of Patterson Britton and Partners along with John Wilson and Partners to strengthen water and environmental service capabilities. The acquisition of Polestar augmented nuclear consulting proficiency, while UniField Engineering increased its footprint within the U.S. electrical power sector.
Expansion into Africa saw offices established in Egypt and Libya alongside a Nigerian joint venture named DeltaAfrik. Additionally, WorleyParsons acquired a 50% share in Pretoria-based Pangaea, which was rebranded as PangaeaWorleyParsons by 2008.
The strategic purchase of SEA Engineering in 2007 followed by INTEC (now INTECSEA) in 2008 positioned WorleyParsons prominently within offshore deep-water hydrocarbons engineering and integrated subsea project services.
In 2008, acquiring Westmar enhanced infrastructure as well as minerals and metals capabilities both within Canada and internationally. The following year saw WorleyParsons acquire UK operations from Day & Zimmermann to establish its UK Improve business center and also purchase Brazil’s CNEC to complement its resource and energy service portfolio.
2010s
In 2010, WorleyParsons expanded its footprint by acquiring Evans & Peck, a consultancy firm operating in both Australia and China, which provided services across transport, power, energy, resources, water, and social infrastructure sectors.
The company continued its growth through acquisitions such as Kwezi V3 Engineers (KV3) in 2011, a prominent engineering firm based in South Africa, followed by the 2013 purchase of TWP Holdings. These additions strengthened WorleyParsons' expertise in underground mine planning, mineral processing, and project management.
In 2012, WorleyParsons secured a 50% ownership interest in a Canadian joint venture alongside Cergetec.
The 2013 acquisition of Bergen Group Rosenberg AS ("Rosenberg") broadened the company’s engineering service offerings within Norway.
WorleyParsons further enhanced its consulting capabilities in 2014 by acquiring MTG, Ltd., a US-based management consulting company with specialization in oil and gas, petrochemicals, and chemicals sectors, operating across North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
In October 2018, WorleyParsons entered into an agreement to acquire the Energy, Chemicals and Resources (ECR) business of Jacobs Engineering Group for $3.3 billion, with the deal finalized in April 2019. This merger resulted in a combined workforce totaling 57,600 employees spanning 51 countries.
April 2019 saw the announcement of a planned rebranding to Worley, subject to shareholder approval at the October annual general meeting. Chris Ashton was named CEO effective February 2020.
In November 2023, Worley introduced an updated brand strategy featuring a new logo and consolidated key subsidiaries—including Advisian, Chemetics, Comprimo, Cord, Intecsea, and Rosenberg—under the single Worley brand umbrella. The company’s portfolio now encompasses Industries, Services and Technology, along with Worley Consulting.