 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - British Burma yakabudisa kunze kwenyika mutangi wayo wokutanga wemafuta asina kuchena muna 1853. The London-based Burmah Oil Company BOC yakatangwa muna 1871 uye yakatanga kugadzirwa mumunda weYenangyaung muna 1887 uye mumunda weChauk muna 1902. BOC yakafarikanya monopoly munharaunda iyi kusvikira muna 1901, apo American Standard Oil Company yakatanga kushanda muBurma. Kugoverwa kwamafuta kwakasangana zvikurukuru nezvinodikanwa zveIndia yeBritain. Hondo Yenyika II isati yatanga uye Japan isati yapinda muBurma, kugadzirwa kwemafuta kwakamira pamamiriyoni 6,5 emamirimita pagore. Pashure pokuwana rusununguko muna 1948, Burma yakaramba iri imwe yenyika dzakabudirira zvikuru muAsia nemhaka yeindasitiri yayo yepetroleum uye kutengeswa kwokurima. 