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Coll 30/87(2) Part I 'Qatar: Oil Concession.' [‎453r] (924/1310)

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The record is made up of 4 volumes (639 folios). It was created in 14 Jan 1935-8 Nov 1944. It was written in English and Arabic. 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

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THE 3CH5DULE above referred to
5.
Pre-emption Clause.
m the event cf a state of national emergency or
v^ar (of the existence of which His JViajesty ’ s Government
shall he the sole judge) -
(1) His Hajesty*s Government shall have the right
of pre-emption of all crude oil gotten under
tne Concession granted hy the sheikh to the
Company and of all the products thereof and
snail have the right to require the Company to
the extent of any refining capacity it may have
1 ^$ a Ji ar t0 P r °duce oil fuel that shall comply
with_the Admiralty specifications at the time
provided that Qatar oil he of a suitable kind
and quality for this purpose.
(2) The Company shall use its utmost endeavours to
increase so far as reasonably possible with
existing facilities the supply of oil and/or
products thereof for the Government to the
extent required by the Government.
(3) The Company shall with every reasonable
expedition and so- as to avoid demurrage on the
vessel or vessels engaged to convey the same,
do its utmost to deliver all oil or products
of oil purchased by the Government under their
said right of pre-emption in the quantities at
the time and in the manner required by the
Government at a convenient place of shipment
or at a place of storage in Qatar to be
determined by His Majesty's Government. In 'the
event of a vessel employed to carry any such
oil or products tnareof on behalf of His
Majesty being detained on demurrage at the port
of loading the company shall pay the amount
due for demurrage according to the terms of
the charter party and/or the rates of loading
previously agreed with the company unless the
delay is due to causes beyond the control of
the Company. Any dispute which may arise as
to whether the delay is due to causes beyond
the control of the Company shall be settled
by agreement between His Majesty’s Government
and the Company, and, in default of such
agreement, the question shall be referred to
two arbitrators, one to be chosen by His
Mi- j e sty * s Government (or the Political Hesiaent)
and the other by the Company, with power to
appoint an umpire in case of disagreement, such
arbitration tp be held in England and to be
deemed a reference to arbitration under the
provisions of the Arbitration Acts 1869 to is34
(52 and 53 Viet, c.49; 24 and 25 Gee.c. 14,
cf the imperial parliament, or any statutory
mcuiiicaticn or re-enactimnt thereof ior the
time being in force. , w

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Content

The file concerns the signing of the agreement between the British Government, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) (later the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company), and the Shaikh of Qatar, Abdullah bin Qasim al Thani [‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī] to award the company an exclusive oil concession in Qatar (also spelled Qatr and Katr). The file also concerns preliminary oil explorations in Qatar, and the subsequent suspension of operations on the orders of the British Government.

The papers cover: discussion, drafts and text of the commercial agreement between the Shaikh of Qatar and APOC (signed 17 May 1935); discussion, draft and text of the political agreement between HM Government and APOC (signed 5 June 1935); the use by the Shaikh of modern, Egyptian Arabic to make comments on the draft (folios 624-625); British support for the proposal that disputes between foreign employees of the company and inhabitants of Qatar should not be submitted to the Shara [Sharia] courts (folio 604); intelligence on the activities of the Standard Oil Company [California-Arabia Standard Oil Company] (e.g. folio 443); British emphasis that military protection would be afforded to the Shaikh of Qatar on condition that he awarded the oil concession to APOC, and the assumption by Britain of responsibility for the protection of Qatar (e.g. folios 400-403); the transfer of the concession from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company to Petroleum Development (Qatar) Limited (e.g. folios 335-357); the payment of salaries to the Shaikh's representatives (e.g. folios 294-295); water drilling operations by the company (e.g. folios 237-241); references to Qatar's disputed border with Saudi Arabia; reports of preliminary drilling results and first discoveries of oil (1939-41); employment of foreign personnel by Petroleum Concessions Limited in Qatar (folios 180-182); the suspension of drilling operations on the orders of HM Government in 1942 as a result of war conditions, including correspondence on the subject between British officials and the Shaikh of Qatar, 1942-43; note that the suspension had been ordered because the British military authorities were unable to spare sufficient personnel to ensure the destruction of the oil wells, should the military situation demand it (folio 41); correspondence dated 1944 concerning a proposed increase in world oil refining capacity; and further correspondence dated 1944 concerning the boundary between Qatar and Bahrain at Hawar Island.

The main correspondents are senior officials at the 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. , representatives of the oil companies concerned, and 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. .

The Arabic language content of the file consists of approximately 30 folios of correspondence, largely between British officials and the Ruler of Qatar.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
4 volumes (639 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: this file consists of four physical volumes. The foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover of volume one (ff 1-161) and terminates at the inside back cover of volume four (ff 486-647); 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. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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Coll 30/87(2) Part I 'Qatar: Oil Concession.' [‎453r] (924/1310), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3806A, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047810668.0x00007d> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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