!['File 86/1 III (D 81) Kuwait Oil. Eastern and General Syndicate' [‎77r] (170/382)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000266/IOR_R_15_1_640_0170.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'File 86/1 III (D 81) Kuwait Oil. Eastern and General Syndicate' [‎77r] (170/382)")
'File 86/1 III (D 81) Kuwait Oil. Eastern and General Syndicate' [77r] (170/382)
The record is made up of 1 volume (190 folios). It was created in 14 Jun 1932-31 Jan 1933. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
(4)
l'@)
Persian Oil Company ha» represented that at the
request of His Majesty's Government they had agreed not
to approach the Shaikhs directly, but to negotiate only
through the
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
in the Persian .ulf#
Major Holmes, however, on behalf of the Eastern ahd
General Syndicate obtained promises of concessions from
the Sheikhs of Bahrein and Koweit by approaching them
personally with the result that the Anglo -rersian Oil
Company forfeited their chance of obtaining concessions
while a lengthy correspondence was taking place between
the Government Departments 'concerned, the Govericneiit of
India, the
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
and
the High Commissioner for Iraq.
(2) In 1925, Major Holmes, acting on behalf of the
Eastern and General Syndicate (which v/as then purely
a British Company) made certain proposals to the Sheikh
In regard to the grant of a concession which were not,
however, acceptable to him* The Anglo Persian Oil
Company also continued to negotiate without success•
(3) In Harch, 1926, the Eastern and General Syndicate
commenced operationa (lay arrangement with the Sheikh) to
drill for water In Koweit, and undertook to sink two
wells within the a»a surrounded by the town wall of
Koweit* After several failures the first well reached
a depth of 700 feet without striking water. It was
apparently as the result of information disclosed by
these water boring operations that the interest oi the
Syndicate in the oil prospects of Koweit was further
stimulated. (It should be noted that these operations
had nothing ostensibly to do with prospecting for
oil, the Sheikh having refused to grant to ajor . ol
an oil prospecting licence#)
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence relating to the draft oil concession agreements presented to the Shaikh of Kuwait (Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) by the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited, and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (A.P.O.C.).
The correspondence focuses particularly on the individual clauses within the two draft agreements and a comparison of them for the Shaikh in order that he can make an informed decision on which concession proposal is best for his country. The memorandum comparing the drafts is produced by the Petroleum Department of the British Government and two copies of it are contained in the volume (folios 48-64, 153-161).
Also included in the volume is correspondence between the US Embassy in London and the Foreign Office regarding what the US embassy view as unacceptable delays in the amount of time it has taken the British Government to discuss the question of the Kuwait concession and repeating their concerns that the Eastern and General Syndicate will not be compared favourably alongside the British A.P.O.C. proposal. Also outlined by the Foreign Office are their fears that the Government's delays in responding to the US in this matter could potentially affect more serious negotiations in the future between the two countries.
Other items of interest in the volume include:
- Letters from the Admiralty and the Army Council expressing their concerns over strategic and military assets in the Gulf should American interests be permitted to acquire the oil concession in Kuwait;
- Enquiries from the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to the Secretary of State for India asking if anything can be done to assist the Shaikh of Kuwait with his grievances regarding his date gardens in Iraq and Ibn Sa'ud's blockade;
- A letter from the Secretary of State, Foreign Office (on behalf of the Secretary for Mines) to the Director of the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited outlining the history and background to an oil concession in Kuwait dating back to 1917 when A.P.O.C. first undertook preliminary examinations in Kuwait and Bahrain (folios 76-81);
- Details of proposals by A.P.O.C. to increase the financial offer of their concession
- Letter from the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Kuwait to the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. regarding anti-A.P.O.C. and anti-British propaganda which is being circulated in Kuwait (folios 106-108).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (190 folios)
- Arrangement
The contents of the file have been arranged mostly in chronologically order.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The principal foliation runs from the first folio to last folios and consists of numbers enclosed in a circle in the top right hand corner. A second former sequence commences on the first folio of writing and concludes on folio 173, consisting of pencil numbers (not circled) in the top right hand corner. This sequence has gaps. Foliation anomalies: 1A-1D, 21A, 162A
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'File 86/1 III (D 81) Kuwait Oil. Eastern and General Syndicate' [77r] (170/382), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/640, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023610191.0x0000ab> [accessed 18 April 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023610191.0x0000ab
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023610191.0x0000ab">'File 86/1 III (D 81) Kuwait Oil. Eastern and General Syndicate' [‎77r] (170/382)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023610191.0x0000ab"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000266/IOR_R_15_1_640_0170.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000266/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/640
- Title
- 'File 86/1 III (D 81) Kuwait Oil. Eastern and General Syndicate'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1r:1v, 1ar:1dv, 2r:5v, 7v:21v, 21ar:21av, 22r:22v, 24v:41v, 42v:116v, 116ar:116av, 117r:127v, 130v:170v, 171v:172v, 173v:180v, i-r:i-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence