dˈʊɹɹɪŋ kˈɪŋ hˈæmædz ɹˈeɪn, ðə sˈɜːtʃ fɔːɹ ˈɔɪl bɪɡˈæn ˌʌndɚ ðɪ ˈiːdʒɪs ʌvðə bɑːɹˈeɪn pətɹˈoʊliːəm kˈʌmpəni bˈæpkoʊ, ænd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi tˈuː ðə fˈɜːst ˈɔɪl wˈɛl ɔnðə wˈɛstɚn sˈaɪd ʌvðə pˈɜːʒən ɡˈʌlf bɪɡˈæn pɹədˈʌkʃən.
During King Hamad's reign, the search for oil began under the aegis of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), and in 1932 the first oil well on the western side of the Persian Gulf began production.