[1] He is often associated with William Knox D'Arcy,[2] an English entrepreneur who obtained a concession from the Iranian government to explore and extract oil in Iran.
[1] Reynolds began his career in British India's Public Works Department, particularly in the State Railways, which were primarily coal-driven at the time.
By April, with no success, the venture close to collapse, and D'Arcy who was almost bankrupted, decided with Burmah to abandon exploration in Iran.
In early May 1908, they sent Reynolds a telegram stating that they had run out of money and ordering him to "cease work, dismiss the staff, dismantle anything worth the cost of transporting to the coast for re-shipment, and come home".
[6] While D'Arcy is often credited with the initial concession, Reynolds and his contributions to the technical and geological aspects of the oil industry in Iran is not overlooked.