Helping to supply the world with energy starts with understanding what lies deep beneath the Earth’s surface. It’s a skill bp has decades of experience in
Long before any oil or gas well is drilled, bp’s explorers begin their hunt for hydrocarbons. Like detectives, teams of geologists and geophysicists search for and analyse patterns in layers of rock formed millions of years ago.
“Exploration is about reading the clues beneath the surface and deciding which are worth following. With skills built over decades, our people and our technology come together to turn complex data into informed choices. That’s what sets us apart,” says Bryan Ritchie, VP of exploration.
This past year was an exceptional one for exploration, with 12 discoveries in 2025, and another two so far in 2026. Those included Bumerangue in Brazil, bp’s largest find in 25 years, as well as others in the Gulf of America, Trinidad, Egypt, and Namibia and Angola through Azule Energy, our 50:50 joint venture with Eni.
“Our teams use high-quality seismic data, high performance compute and decades of experience to focus on the most competitive opportunities,” says Bryan. “You can clearly see how that all came together this past year – one of our best on record – with the range of discoveries that were made.”
New opportunities
Our Brazil find is a top example of how exploration led to a notable discovery. In this case, our explorers’ work began with the analyses of seismic imaging to better understand the subsurface.
Created with soundwaves that help to build an image of what lies beneath, seismic can be notoriously difficult to interpret. That’s where our expertise and technology shine.
In this region, the oil and gas reserves are located beneath thick layers of salt as well as rock, which complicates seismic imaging. In-depth analysis and advanced seismic processing were needed to narrow down the precise positioning of the largest deposits.
As confidence grew in the data, bp bid in 2022 on the high-graded exploration block. Further investigation, including additional seismic, helped determine where to drill an exploration well – a feat likened to knowing where to place a lamppost in an area the size of central London.
In 2025, the well – together with a detailed analysis of samples from the borehole – provided the evidence needed for exploration teams to describe the discovery. It led to initial estimates of around 8 billion barrels of liquids in place ahead of a more detailed appraisal process.
“Our ‘special sauce’ doesn’t come from a single tool. It comes from the way we bring everything together,” says Shira Paulson, subsurface country manager for Brazil.
“We have a laser focus on technical excellence, pulling in geology, reservoir engineering and petrophysics into one integrated view of the subsurface – and it’s the calibre of our people that make that work.”
“Our role in subsurface is to go beyond the prospect – to discover world-class resources and define what they can become. By combining deep petro-technical expertise with digital innovation, we turn data into insight, and insight into energy, today, and for decades to come.”
Seismic excellence
Seismic imaging is one of bp’s core capabilities and supports exploration decisions around the world. By sending sound waves deep below the seabed and analysing how they reflect back, teams can build detailed pictures of the subsurface, using high performance compute, advanced algorithms, specialist expertise and infrastructure upgrades to understand what lies beneath.
“bp is a leader in seismic imaging,” says Frederic Billette, bp’s seismic lead for exploration. “We continue to innovate because we have the people, the mindset and the leadership support to keep pushing what’s possible.”
What teams learn in one region is then applied elsewhere, strengthening decisions across the portfolio. Nowhere is that more evident than in the Gulf of America, one of the world’s most demanding and competitive exploration environments, and one of bp’s most important seismic proving grounds.
“The Gulf of America has incredibly complex geology,” says Frederic.
“We’re now using the approach we used there in places like Egypt, Brazil, the Caspian and Trinidad, where sharper imaging helps us see channels and structures more clearly before we drill. What we prove in the Gulf of America gives us the confidence to make better informed seismic-led decisions across very different basins worldwide.”
What comes next
Finding the hydrocarbons is only the beginning. The appraisal helps turn early clues into a full picture of the resource. That picture can then help guide bp’s next decisions.
Not every discovery moves forward, and bp’s explorers and project specialists work side by side to identify which finds have the scale, characteristics and competitive potential to become successful future projects.
“Our role in subsurface is to go beyond the prospect – to discover world-class resources and define what they can become,” says bp’s head of subsurface Ariel Flores. “By combining deep petro-technical expertise with digital innovation, we turn data into insight, and insight into energy, today, and for decades to come.”
Why it matters
Globally, demand for all types of energy, including oil and gas, is growing. Identifying potential new resources can be complex, so for companies that produce energy, like bp, it’s key to plan years ahead.
The timeline from discovery of oil and gas to production can take years, and a pipeline of discovered resources means that energy can be continuously produced.
Over the past year, bp and our JV partners have made big progress in finding new resources, some of which will be developed into new major projects.
We are working towards a reserves replacement ratio – the measure of how much resource we add compared with what we produce – of 100% by end of 2027. Last year our ratio was 90% -- a sharp rise from around 50% in 2023-2024.
What’s more, we started up seven new projects in 2025, bringing online around 150,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of combined net peak production. Through 2030, we have given the go ahead for the development of nine additional new projects so we can continue to deliver energy to the world, today and tomorrow.
