Abadan Refinery Site Selected
Selects Abadan Island as the refinery site and begins establishing the company's Persian Gulf refining base.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1909-1927
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Charles Greenway Biography and Timeline
Follow Charles Greenway through 32 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Charles Greenway, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
32Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1909–1924Years on this page
1909
Bakhtiari Oil Interests Consolidated
The company consolidates interests connected with the Bakhtiari Oil Company as its Persian structure expands.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1909-1927
Concessions Syndicate Rights Acquired
The new company acquires the petroleum rights and shares held through the Concessions Syndicate.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1909-1927
Sheikh Khazal Operating Agreement
The company reaches an agreement with Sheikh Khazal securing local cooperation for operations near the Persian Gulf.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1909-1927
1910
Abadan Refinery Construction
Directs development of refinery facilities at Abadan to process crude from the Persian oilfields.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1910-1927
Greenway Becomes Managing Director
Becomes managing director and takes a leading role in building Anglo-Persian into an integrated oil company.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1910-1927
Masjed Soleyman Abadan Pipeline Development
Develops the long-distance pipeline system needed to carry crude oil from Masjed Soleyman to Abadan.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1910-1927
1911
Oil Fuel Committee Evidence
Gives evidence with Lord Strathcona to a government committee examining oil fuel and future naval requirements.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1910-1927
1912
Company Working Capital Exhausted
Reaches the end of the year with working capital effectively exhausted despite the major Persian oil discovery.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1910-1927
Abadan Refinery Opens
Opens the Abadan refinery with an initial annual capacity of about 120,000 tons.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1910-1927
Abadan Refinery Test Failure
Faces serious technical problems when an early refinery test fails and product quality proves poor.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1910-1927
Royal Dutch Shell Marketing Agreement
Signs a ten-year marketing arrangement with Royal Dutch Shell because Anglo-Persian lacks a large distribution network.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1910-1927
1913
D'Arcy Concession Government Review
The Foreign Office reviews the history and strategic significance of D'Arcy's Persian petroleum concession.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1910-1927
Government Investment Negotiations Begin
Negotiates with British officials over state investment that could preserve Anglo-Persian's independence and finance expansion.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1910-1927
1914
Government Directors Added to Board
Two government-appointed directors join the company board with special veto rights over defined strategic matters.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
Government Majority Shareholding Established
The British government acquires a majority interest, giving Anglo-Persian new capital while preserving commercial management.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
Greenway Becomes Anglo-Persian Chairman
Becomes chairman of Anglo-Persian as the company enters its decisive partnership with the British government.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
Thirty-Year Admiralty Supply Agreement
Concludes a long-term arrangement guaranteeing the Royal Navy a secure supply of Persian fuel oil.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
1915
Seven Tank Steamers Ordered
Orders seven tank steamers as Anglo-Persian invests government-backed capital in transport capacity.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
1917
Sunbury Research Laboratory Established
Establishes a research laboratory at Sunbury, broadening Anglo-Persian's technical and refining capabilities.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
Swansea Refinery Development Chosen
Decides to establish refining capacity at Swansea using improved technology for British and European markets.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
1918
Abadan Capacity Reaches One Million Tons
Abadan refinery capacity reaches about one million tons annually after sustained wartime expansion.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
Persian Crude Output Reaches 23600 Barrels Daily
Persian crude production reaches roughly 23,600 barrels per day as the company's wartime output expands.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
1919
Government Holding Disclosed in Commons
Parliament is told the government holds two million of Anglo-Persian's three million ordinary shares.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
1920
Shell Supply Agreement Examined in Commons
Parliament examines the company's pre-government marketing agreement to supply Shell through the end of 1922.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
North Persia Concession Purchase Agreement
North Persia Oils concludes a sale agreement connected with acquisition of northern Persian concession interests.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
North Persia Oils Incorporated
A company linked with Anglo-Persian is incorporated to pursue former Russian oil interests in northern Persia.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
Armitage-Smith Royalty Settlement Offer
Anglo-Persian offers one million pounds to settle disputed Persian royalty claims through the Armitage-Smith negotiations.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
Persian Damage Claims Waived
Waives claims over wartime pipeline damage while seeking a broader settlement of royalty disputes with Persia.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
1922
Independent Overseas Marketing Expansion
Expands company-controlled marketing subsidiaries in Europe, Africa and Asia after the Shell agreement expires.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
Shell Marketing Agreement Expires
The ten-year Shell marketing arrangement expires, allowing Anglo-Persian to expand its own international sales network.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
1924
British Government Retains Equity Stake
The British government decides to retain its large equity holding rather than privatize its Anglo-Persian interest.
Role range: 1901-1935 – 1914-1927
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.