BP's saw profits, production and prices fall in the first quarter, according to a downbeat set of results that were viewed as marking time in the last few months before the retirement of Lord Browne as chief executive in July.

Neither Lord Browne nor Tony Hayward, his successor, made themselves available to discuss the figures. Byron Grote, the chief financial officer, said in a conference call with analysts that 2007 would be "a year of consolidation".