Oil was discovered in 1908 at Masjed Soleyman, creating the first commercially significant oil field in the Middle East.
The discovery followed exploration by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which drilled in southwestern Persia, now Iran. On 26 May 1908, the drilling operation struck oil at a site near Masjed Soleyman. The find transformed the company’s prospects and helped establish a major petroleum industry in the region.
A refinery was later built at Abadan, on the Karun River, to process the crude. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company eventually became the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and later formed the historical corporate lineage associated with BP.
Masjed Soleyman is sometimes confused with Abadan because Abadan became famous for its refinery and oil infrastructure. The discovery field and the refinery city were different places, although both were central to Iran’s early oil history.