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  1. Home
  2. Who we are
  3. Our history

Our history

Starting in 1908 with the discovery of oil in Persia, our story has always been about transitions – from coal to oil, from oil to gas, from onshore to deep water, and now onwards towards a new mix of energy sources as the world moves into a lower carbon future
Aral service station outside the Aral headquarters in Bochum, Germany, during the 1960s
William Knox D'Arcy, the founder of BP, with his wife in their Edwardian English home. D'Arcy entered the oil industry in 1901 by obtaining an...

First oil – 1901-1908

How we began – as William D’Arcy risked his fortune on oil and very nearly lost it
An attendant refuelling a motorcar at a small roadside Olex gasoline station in Germany during the 1920s

Early history – 1909-1924

From struggle to success, with a little help from Winston Churchill along the way
A BP geologist using instruments to conduct a survey in Persia, 1926. A local guide stands by his side

Through World War II – 1925-1945

After two decades of progress everything changed in the autumn of 1939
The Lali oilfield in the foothills of the Zagros mountains in south western Iran, one of the several oilfields discovered by BP in Persia - renamed Ir...

Post war – 1946-1970

A new stability would soon be shattered by political crises in the Middle East
AirBP refuelling a Boeing 747 carrying the prototype spaceshuttle `Enterprise`

Late century – 1971-1999

At the turn of the century we found new momentum through a series of mergers

Looking up at the towers at the Tropical BioEnergia refinery in Brazil, 2008

The new millennium – 2000-2012

With the new millennium came a new focus – starting with a change of name to 'BP'

Heritage companies

A short history of our heritage businesses and brands – Amoco, Arco, Aral, Sohio and Castrol