Persia and the Ottomans long disputed Ābādān’s possession, but Persia acquired it in 1847. Its village status remained unchanged until the early 20th century, when rich oilfields were discovered in Khūzestān. In 1909 the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (its Iranian properties were nationalized in 1951 as the National Iranian Oil Company) established its pipeline terminus refinery at Ābādān. The refinery began operating in 1913, and by 1956 Ābādān had become a city of more than 220,000 inhabitants, with an economy almost entirely based on petroleum refining and shipping.
