BP kicks off high-tech seismic survey at Azerbaijan’s Karabakh field

British energy giant BP has officially launched a high-density seismic exploration program at the Karabakh oil and gas field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, a senior company official said on Monday.

The survey marks the first major operational step since BP acquired a 35% stake in the project from state oil firm SOCAR earlier this year. Dan Sparks, BP’s Vice President for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, said the study utilizes High-Density Ocean Bottom Nodes (HDOBN), a technology previously deployed in BP’s massive 4D seismic program at the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) fields.

"The objective is to reduce uncertainty in resource assessment and prepare for a final investment decision (FID)," Sparks said. The initial seismic phase is expected to last three and a half months at depths of 140-200 meters. A second high-resolution (HR/UHR) survey is scheduled for March-April 2026.

The Karabakh field, located 120 km east of Baku, is estimated to hold over 60 million tonnes of oil reserves, with recoverable portions cited at 21 million tonnes of oil and 13 billion cubic meters of gas. BP serves as the operator of the project with a 35% stake, while SOCAR retains 65%.

The field is seen as a key component of Azerbaijan’s strategy to maintain crude production levels as older fields mature.