In 1907, he helped arrange the merger of Royal Dutch Petroleum Company with "Shell" Transport and Trading Company Ltd. Gulbenkian emerged as a major shareholder of the newly formed company, Royal Dutch/Shell.
в Iraq Petroleum Co. Ltd ее акции были поделены между Anglo-Persian Oil Company (нынешняя British Petroleum), Royal Dutch Shell Group, Compagnie Francaise des Petroles и Near East Development Corporation.