BP has officially launched seismic exploration at the Karabagh field in Azerbaijan’s sector of the Caspian Sea, marking a key step toward advancing the field’s development.
According to BP, a three-dimensional seismic survey using High Density Ocean Bottom Nodes (HDOBN) technology began last week. The program aims to reduce uncertainty in resource assessment, support development planning, and enable a final investment decision. The survey is being executed by BP’s Caspian Geo teams, which pioneered the HDOBN technology during BP’s five-year 4D seismic program at the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field.
The seismic program comprises ocean bottom node (OBN) surveys alongside high-resolution (HR) and ultra-high-resolution (UHR) seismic studies. The initial campaign, starting in December, will run for approximately three and a half months in water depths of 140–200 metres. A follow-up HR/UHR survey is planned for March–April 2026 and is expected to be completed within 45 days.
In June, BP acquired equity stakes in two offshore assets in Azerbaijan’s Caspian Sea sector and assumed operatorship of both projects following agreements signed with the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) during Baku Energy Week.
One of the assets is the Karabagh oil field, located around 120 km east of Baku in water depths of 150–200 metres. Development of the field is governed by a risk service agreement (RSA) concluded in 2018. The second asset is the Ashrafi–Dan Ulduzu–Aypara (ADUA) block, situated 90–110 km northeast of Baku in waters ranging from 80 to 180 metres, and regulated under a production sharing agreement (PSA) signed in 2018.
Under the transaction, BP acquired a 35% participating interest in both the RSA and PSA, while SOCAR retained a 65% stake. BP will act as operator for both projects.
BP Executive Vice President for Production and Operations Gordon Birrell described the agreements as a renewed commitment to Azerbaijan and a significant growth opportunity for the company, highlighting BP’s intent to leverage existing infrastructure and apply global technical, commercial, and operational expertise to accelerate development safely and efficiently.
Discovered in 1959, the offshore Karabagh field was first explored in the late 1990s by the Caspian International Petroleum Company (CIPCO) consortium. Drilling in 1997–98 confirmed oil and gas at depths of around 3,400 metres, but development did not proceed at the time. The project was revived in 2018 when Equinor became operator and drilled an additional discovery well in 2019, lifting estimated in-place reserves to about 450 million barrels of oil. Progress was later delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and Equinor sold its 50% stake to SOCAR in December 2023.
Preliminary estimates indicate that the Karabagh field holds more than 60 million tonnes of geological oil resources, with approximately 21 million tonnes of recoverable oil and around 13 billion cubic metres of recoverable gas.