bp hits milestone with sixth major 2025 start-up as Murlach field begins production

bp has safely started up its sixth major upstream oil and gas project of 2025 with production from the Murlach field in the UK North Sea. 

The six projects add around 150,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) combined peak net production, contributing to bp’s target to deliver an additional 250,000 boed combined peak net production by the end of 2027. 

Ewan Drummond, bp’s senior vice president of projects commented, "Murlach is the sixth start-up for bp in 2025 and marks another important milestone in our plan to deliver 10 major upstream oil and gas projects by the end of 2027." 

“These projects reflect bp's strength in safely increasing production to supply energy to meet global demand, while maintaining a relentless focus on shareholder returns. They also highlight our focus on efficient delivery, with four starting up ahead of schedule," they further added. 

Murlach adds a peak net production of around 15,000 boed to the bp-operated Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) in the central North Sea, a hub that has been operating for 27 years. 

The project, which received government and regulatory approvals in 2023, involved the redevelopment of a field originally in operation in the early 2000s. bp acquired the field licence after it was relinquished by the previous operator. 

The redevelopment included drilling two new wells, adding subsea equipment, reusing some existing kit, and making topside changes to the ETAP central processing facility. 

Doris Reiter, senior vice president of bp North Sea, said: “A key focus for bp in the North Sea is to identify opportunities that can be developed competitively using existing infrastructure to effectively manage established oil and gas hubs for the entirety of their lifespan. Murlach serves as another great example of this. 

“It’s also testament to the skill and dedication of the bp team, our co-venturer NEO NEXT Energy, and supply chain colleagues," she added.