Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) on Wednesday said that Bharat PetroResources Limited (BPRL), its wholly owned subsidiary and exploration and production arm, through a 50:50 special purpose vehicle with Urja Bharat Pte Limited (UBPL), have discovered oil in their operated Onshore Block 1 in Abu Dhabi.
BPCL, in a regulatory filing, said the discovery was announced on January 13, 2026, following the award of the exploration concession to UBPL in March 2019 and completion of the exploration phase, during which nearly $166 million was invested.
The concession agreement covers a total area of up to 6,162 square kilometres, granting UBPL 100 per cent concession rights.
The first oil discovery in the Unconventional Shilaif play has been made in XN-76 well, an official statement read.
After successful hydrofracking operations, the well flowed oil to the surface from the Shilaif formation. The successful testing results have established the presence of unconventional oil resources in Onshore Block 1, the statement added.
BPRL is very positive about the well results and is looking forward to further establishing the economic deliverability of the wells during the appraisal phase, BPCL said.
BPRL has also witnessed the oil discovery during testing of the exploration well XN-79 02S in the Onshore Block 1.
The well flowed crude oil, marking it the first oil find in the Habshan reservoir in the concession area, the refiner said.
“Such positive developments are very encouraging and certainly a significant achievement for BPRL, as an international operator,” BPCL stated.
The company sees these new oil discoveries as supplementing BPRL’s efforts towards energy security in India.
