William Knox D'Arcy Biography

Develops an application for extensive petroleum rights in Persia after discussions with Kitabgi.

Meets Antoine Kitabgi in Paris and agrees in principle to seek a Persian petroleum concession.

Receives active diplomatic support from British minister Sir Arthur Hardinge during negotiations in Tehran.

Receives a sixty-year concession granting extensive rights to explore, produce, transport and market Persian petroleum.

Accepts exclusion of five northern Persian provinces from the concession to reduce conflict with Russian interests.

Agrees cash, share and sixteen-percent profit terms with the Persian government under the oil concession.

Forms the First Exploitation Company as petroleum exploration in Persia becomes a structured commercial venture.

Secures financial backing from Burmah Oil, enabling the costly Persian exploration programme to continue.

Reorganizes the struggling Persian venture through the Concessions Syndicate with substantial Burmah Oil support.

The D'Arcy syndicate concludes an agreement with Bakhtiari chiefs to facilitate operations in southwestern Persia.

Faces Persian government refusal to recognize the syndicate's separate agreement with Bakhtiari chiefs.

The syndicate comes close to abandoning Persian exploration as costs mount and success remains uncertain.

Begins planning pipelines, refining and export facilities needed to commercialize the new Persian oil discovery.

The concession syndicate begins drilling a third well at Masjed Soleyman after failures at earlier sites.

A major oil reservoir is struck at Masjed Soleyman, transforming the prospects of D'Arcy's Persian concession.

The Anglo-Persian Oil Company is incorporated to develop the D'Arcy concession and the Masjed Soleyman discovery.

Burmah Oil takes the majority of ordinary shares in the newly formed Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

Receives company shares compensating him for the heavy costs previously incurred in Persian exploration.

Becomes a director of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company after transfer of his concession interests.

The company's public share offering attracts heavy demand as investors back development of Persian oil.

D'Arcy's death ends his directorship after the concession he pioneered has become a major oil enterprise.