In a first instance of a foreign oil company planning to list in the Indian capital market, which exploration and production company announced an initial public offering to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange?

Introduction / Context:
Foreign companies listing in Indian capital markets represent an important milestone in financial integration. This question refers to the first instance of a foreign oil exploration and production company announcing an initial public offering in India, specifically to list on the Bombay Stock Exchange. Recognising that this company was Cairn Energy is a classic example of business awareness tested in competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The company is a foreign oil exploration and production firm. - It planned to list in the Indian capital market. - The listing was through an initial public offering on the Bombay Stock Exchange. - Four well known oil and energy firms are given as options.

Concept / Approach:
The concept is cross border capital market access and foreign listings. Among the options, Cairn Energy is known for its operations in India and for promoting a listing through an Indian subsidiary. Unocol, Shell, and British Petroleum are also major oil companies but are not associated with this landmark IPO in India in the same way. Therefore, the approach is to recall which name appears repeatedly in exam oriented GK when discussing this first foreign oil company listing event.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that the question emphasises first instance of a foreign oil company planning to list on the BSE. Step 2: Recall that Cairn Energy, a United Kingdom based company, developed significant oil and gas assets in India and later listed its Indian operations. Step 3: Unocol, Shell, and British Petroleum have substantial global operations but are not highlighted in Indian GK compendiums as the first foreign oil companies to pursue a BSE listing in this way. Step 4: Exam question banks specifically mention Cairn Energy in connection with this landmark IPO. Step 5: Therefore, the correct option is Cairn Energy.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can confirm this by reviewing business news summaries or GK notes that deal with foreign listings in India. They routinely cite Cairn Energy as the exploration and production company associated with this first of its kind listing initiative, underscoring its significance for Indian capital markets.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Unocol, Shell, and British Petroleum are well established global oil companies, but they are not identified in mainstream GK materials as the first foreign oil companies to list on the BSE through a local IPO. They may have had other forms of presence in India, but not the specific milestone described in this question. Thus these options are included only as plausible distractors.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to guess Shell or British Petroleum simply because they are better known to many candidates than Cairn Energy. Another pitfall is to ignore the emphasis on first instance and the BSE listing and instead think only about which company has a general presence in India. Paying close attention to exam facts and reading all words in the question helps you recall that the correct answer is Cairn Energy.

Final Answer:
The exploration and production company described in the question is Cairn Energy.