BP strikes its largest discovery in 25 years offshore Brazil

BP makes its largest discovery in 25 years offshore Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 4, 2025 – BP has announced a significant oil and gas discovery at the Bumerangue deepwater prospect in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil, the company announced on Monday.

The find is the company’s largest in 25 years. Exploration well 1-BP-13-SPS was drilled to a depth of 5,855 metres in 2,372 metres of water, 404 kilometres from Rio de Janeiro, and penetrated an estimated 500-metre hydrocarbon column in a high-quality pre-salt carbonate reservoir spanning an area of more than 300 square kilometres.

Rig-site analysis detected elevated carbon dioxide levels, and further laboratory testing will follow. The company is also planning additional appraisal activities, pending regulatory approval.

“We are excited to announce this significant discovery at Bumerangue, BP’s largest in 25 years. This is another success in what has been an exceptional year so far for our exploration team, underscoring our commitment to growing our upstream. Brazil is an important country for BP, and our ambition is to explore the potential of establishing a material and advantaged production hub in the country,” said Gordon Birrell, executive vice-president for Production and Operations at BP.

BP holds a 100% interest in the Bumerangue block, with Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. as PSC manager. It was secured in 2022 under the first round of the Open Acreage of Production Sharing of Brazil’s National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP).

Bumerangue is BP’s tenth discovery in 2025, adding to finds in Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt, the Gulf of Mexico and Libya, as well as a March 2025 find in the Alto de Cabo Frio Central in Brazil. Through its 50-50 joint venture with Eni, Azule Energy, BP has also registered finds in Namibia and Angola.

BP aims to grow its global upstream production to 2.3 million-2.5 million boepd by 2030, and is eyeing further increases by 2035. In Brazil, the company is planning to drill an additional exploration well at the Tupinambá block in 2026.

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