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‘File 28/1 K I Defence of oil field and refinery’ [263r] (525/684)
The record is made up of 1 file (340 folios). It was created in 5 Dec 1939-3 May 1942. 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.
An lnor«aa« In th* number of mobile water pumps for fire
fighting was considered.
It was suggested that three and if possible five 330 +oQQ
trailer pumps should be made available*
Slr.Fifer chief engineer of the Oil Coy who has recently
returned from India understands that there is a shipment
of 0000 trailer pumps on route to India froai the C.3.A#
The fire fighting appliances at the deep sea wharf are not
designed to compete with an oil tanker fire*
A blast wall is to be built round the emergency fire pump
house In the refinery.
(d) Five walls in the tank farm area varying from 4ft 6 Ins to
7 ft have been constructed.
Drains have also been made to take off oil from damaged or
burst tanks to areas where it can burn with safety.
It wsa recommended and the Coy agreed to double the width
of the existing drains.
(e) Pipe lines. The London Petroleum Board recommend that
all pipe lines should be buried and covered to e minimum depth
of £’6 rt with earth.
This is not considered practicable in BaHRAIK owing to
the extreme corrosive qualities of the soil.
Pipe lines that were originally buried have had to be
replaced or raised above ground level to avoid corrosion.
Pipe lines in the refinery area are now laid in trenches
and protected by aide walls wherever poealbls*
The main difficulties in the construction of adequate P.A.D.
measures may be sumnerieed as unden
ts) Lack of materials.
In order to comply with the specifications laid down hythe
London Petroleum Board the following is an estimate of the
total materials required for concrete construction.
Cement Sand Hock Steel
Tons to' CU' y<*v Tons
23,000 35,000 66,500 500
Of the above materials sand is available but is 13 miles
from the refinery. Hock is available but outrope are scatter
ed and have to be quarried. Steel and cement are IfOT avail
able locally ond would have to be imported.
A certain amount of timber would also have to be imported.
The existing rock crushing and cement mixing machinery Is
very limited* additional machinery would have to be imported.
The capacity of the present existing machinery is f-
Bock crusher 40 cu yds per 34 hour day
Cement mixers 96 cu yds per 34 hour day.
In addition there are two P.H. cranes for loading trucks.
Twelve dump trucks each 5 cu yds capacity, these are
normally used for coking operations.
(b) Labour *
The American and British staff now available is sufficient
only for normal operations.
Tbs Coy may be called on and have made preliminary
preparations to double their present output of refined
products*
This increased output will amount to approximately 8000
tons per day.
It is estimated that from the redeipt of the final order
to increase output it will take 30 days to complete the change
over of the process units to complete with the Increased output
Few extra personnel are required for this increase.
About this item
- Content
The file comprises copies of correspondence, memoranda and reports relating to the military defence of Bahrain’s oil refineries and oil fields during the Second World War. The principal correspondents in the file are: 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 Bahrain (Hugh Weightman; Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban); the Chief Local Representative of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) (John S Black; Roger Anthony Kennedy; Milton H Lipp; Ward P Anderson).
The file includes:
- a copy of ‘General Instructions for the Defence Organisation of the Bahrain Petroleum Company’, dated December 1939 (ff 9-52), with sections focusing on: 1) the internal and external areas of the refinery; 2) the personnel camps at Awali and Zellaq; 3) fields and wells; information on inventories of equipment, and specific instructions for patrols and guards;
- correspondence from BAPCO representatives to 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. relating to: the perceived threat to Bahrain and to Company property, and defensive measures to be taken; assessments of the threat of internal sabotage, local uprisings, bombardment from sea or air (ff 68-71); questions of responsibility for and efficacy of defensive measures being taken in Bahrain; questions of the legal aspects (liability, compensation, War Risk Insurance) of damage to Company property from enemy attack, and volunteers who become casualties while defending Company property, including printed copies of the Gazetteer of India War Injuries Ordinance , No. VII of 1941 (ff 235-237) and the War Injuries (Amendment) Ordinance , No. I of 1942 (ff 238-249);
- correspondence exchanged, and the notes and minutes of meetings held between senior Government officials (including 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. , Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Air Vice Marshal at Air Headquarters in Iraq) on the provision of resources for the defence of Bahrain, including discussion of the availability and use of manpower supplied by BAPCO;
- a number of monthly progress reports in 1941 on the Bahrain defence scheme, prepared by the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (ff 143-144, ff 146-147, ff 162-164, ff 177-179), referring to: defence force recruitment; the volunteer defence force; general morale and attitude of recruits; equipment supplies; anti-aircraft defence measures;
- in 1941, plans for the control of telephone exchanges and lines during emergencies, with lists of telephone links to be maintained during an emergency (ff 182-183);
- plans and proposals for the protection of BAPCO property in the event of enemy action, including: in 1942, BAPCO proposals for the protection of the oil field in case it falls into enemy hands, by the sealing of wells with concrete (ff 270-294); a military report on Passive Air Defence (PAD) at the BAPCO refinery, dated 28 April 1942, focussing chiefly on plans to construct protective sheathing around the refinery tanks (ff 304-323).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (340 folios)
- Arrangement
The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end. The file notes at the end of the file (ff 326-341) mirror the chronological arrangement.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 342; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 3-341; these numbers are also written in pencil, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘File 28/1 K I Defence of oil field and refinery’ [263r] (525/684), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/661, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025780134.0x00007e> [accessed 28 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/661
- Title
- ‘File 28/1 K I Defence of oil field and refinery’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:6v, 52v:56v, 59r:67v, 72r:87v, 91r:91v, 93r:98v, 100r:115v, 117r:127v, 129r:150v, 152r:153v, 157r:175v, 177r:184v, 187r:187v, 189r:190v, 193r:193v, 195r:200v, 204r:207v, 209r:211v, 213r:217v, 220r:220v, 222r:270v, 272r:276v, 279r:298v, 301r:309v, 311r:341v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence