Burmah Oil Co Ltd

Notes:

Registered in Edinburgh in 1886 as Burmah Oil Co Ltd to acquire oil extraction and refining assets in Burma established by the agency house of Finlay Fleming & Co, and its leader, David S Cargill, in the 1870s. This followed the incorporation of Burma into the British Empire. By 1886 had three oil fields, the earliest being at Yenangyaung , and refineries at Rangoon. By 1899 shipping oil in its own tankers to India to which it had become a major supplier. 1905 entered a contract to supply oil to British Admiralty. 1905, with encouragement of British government, started oil exploration in Persia and in 1908 established Anglo Persian Oil Co Ltd, later British Petroleum, in which it sold a major stake to the Admiralty for the British government in 1914. Also established important oil interests in India notably post 1945 and including acquisition of Assam Oil Co Ltd in 1921. 1929 acquired 4% interest in Shell. Burma oil interests damaged 1939-45 and assets in Burma sold to Burmese government in 1963. Diversified outside India from late 1950s, acquiring Lobitos Oilfields Ltd and Manchester Oil Refinery Ltd in 1962, and lubricants and fluids businesses in UK, in particular Castrol Ltd in 1966. Other diversification included extraction and shipping of natural gas. Maintained BP shareholding until serious financial problems in 1975 required its sale to Bank of England. As Burmah Castrol Plc, a lubricants and speciality chemicals business, acquired by BP Plc in 2000