British energy giant BP has officially launched a seismic survey at the Karabagh oil field in Azerbaijan's Caspian Sea sector.
"Last week we started the High Density Ocean Bottom Node (HDOBN) 3D seismic survey. The goal is to reduce resource uncertainty, plan the development, and get to a Final Investment Decision," Dan Sparks, BP's vice president for geology and development in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, said, as quoted by Report.
The survey will be executed by the excellent crews at Caspian Geo, who are supporting a revolution in seismic imaging in the Caspian Sea from the introduction of HDOBN capability. This capability was underpinned by BP's largest ever seismic commitment: the 5+ year 4D campaign at the giant Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field.
The Karabagh seismic program will be conducted in two stages: an initial ocean bottom node (OBN) survey followed by high-resolution (HR) and ultra-high-resolution (UHR) seismic mapping. The first stage is expected to last up to 3.5 months at water depths ranging from 140 to 200 meters. The HR/UHR survey is planned for March–April 2026, with a duration of up to 45 days.
BP acquired a 35% stake in the Karabagh project from Azerbaijan"s state oil company SOCAR in June 2025, during Baku Energy Week, while SOCAR retains the remaining 65%. BP also holds a 35% share and operates the adjacent Ashrafi–Dan Ulduzu–Aipara (ADUA) block. Karabagh lies approximately 120 kilometers east of Baku and 20–25 kilometers from the Gunashli field, at a depth of 150–200 meters. The ADUA block is located 90–110 kilometers northeast of Baku, at 80–180 meters depth.
Preliminary geological estimates suggest Karabagh contains over 60 million tons of oil, of which 21 million tons are recoverable, alongside 13 billion cubic meters of gas. According to Fitch Ratings, peak production could reach 7.5 million barrels per day, translating to more than 2.7 billion barrels annually at maximum output.