Welligence UK M&A | bp UK – an opportunity for NEO NEXT+?
June 17, 2026

In early-June, press reports indicated that Ithaca Energy was in talks for the acquisition of bp’s UK upstream business for US$2.69 billion (£2 billion). Ithaca is an obvious candidate – after multiple transactions made it one of the largest UK producers and resource holders, it continues to target further growth. With a reported deal valuation of over US$2 billion, there are few UK E&P companies that are likely acquisition candidates. NEO NEXT+ is one. In this report we delve into the detail to understand the synergies and other potential bidders.