Phase 2 of seismic exploration at Karabakh field to begin in March 2026

High-resolution (HR) and ultra-high-resolution (UHR) seismic surveys for the Karabakh project will begin in mid-March and continue until the end of April 2026, Gorkhmaz Karimov, a representative of BP-Azerbaijan, said during an online meeting to discuss the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) document for the seismic survey program.

He noted that the surveys will be conducted at a depth of 170–185 meters using the Caspian Provider supply vessel or a similar vessel.

According to Karimov, this technical stage will enable a precise assessment of the geological and hydroacoustic characteristics of the area and will form the basis for future engineering decisions.

This work will be preceded by seismic exploration using ocean bottom nodes (OBN), which will begin on December 1, 2025, at the Karabakh field. The work will last up to 3.5 months. It will be conducted at depths of 140 to 200 meters.

For the OBN survey of the Karabakh field, it is planned to use the Guba vessel to deploy bottom seismic sensors, and the Murovdag vessel to provide seismic signals.

On June 3, 2025, during the Baku Energy Week, BP and SOCAR signed agreements to acquire participating interests in the Karabakh project. The field is located 120 kilometers east of Baku and 20-25 kilometers from the Gunashli field, at depths of 150-200 meters.

According to preliminary estimates, the field's geological reserves exceed 60 million tons of oil, of which 21 million tons of oil and 13 billion cubic meters of gas are considered recoverable.