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'File 14/15 Middle East Oil' [‎10r] (19/38)

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The record is made up of 1 file (17 folios). It was created in 28 Mar 1946-2 Jan 1947. 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. .

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11
Explo ratory Work in Non-Pr o ducing Areas,
S yria a nd L eban on.
75. Exploratory work began in 1935 under seven perrnis de recherohes granted to the
Iraq Patroleum Company, but it v/as not until .1.532. that an agreement was signed, subject^
to ratification by the Syrian Parliament, with Peeroleum Concessions (Syria and Lebanon;,
Ltd., the n^me of which was later changed to Syrian Petroleum Company. This 'agreement
was ratified in March 1940. The area covered includes almost the whole of Syria, and
the Company also holds several Prospecting Licences in the Lebanon.
76 . "'’Drilling operations in the Djebissa area of Eastern Syria be’gan before the war,
but v/ere suspended jn 1941. Operations have recently been re-started and prospects are
believed to be good.
Palestine.
77 . Petroleum Development (Palestine), Ltd., associated with the I.P.C. Croup,
hold£ a number of prospecting licences in Palestine, and test drilling in the more
pressing areas will probably be undertaken in due course. A test-well was, in fact,
planned before the war, but further operations were suspended in order to reduce dollar
expenditure and conserve critical materials.
L:w scat, Oman and D ho fa r.
(except
associated
7 8 . Concessions covering all the territories of the Eultan of Liu scat
wadarj are held By Petroleum Development (Oman and Dhofar), Lid., which is
.C. Croup, under two agreements dated 1937• lu article 12 of'bom agreements,
’’recognises that certain parts of ohe Sultan’s torriiory are now ao ore sen u
good offices wxt'i
Cv/adar )
with the I. P.
ihe Company n recognise
safe for its operations. The Sultan undertakes on his part to use hi _
a view to making it possible for the representatives oi the Company to enter such par os,
and will inform the Company as soon as such parts become safe." A pre-emption agreement
between His Majesty’s Covernmeir:; and die Company was signed m 19> .
79 . Geological expeditions into the hinterland were undertake*! in I9p8-j9> but in
September 1939 the Sultan was informed that, ov/ing to 'war conditions furtner exploration
would be deferred.
Truoial Coast.
Abu Dhabi.
SO. A two years’ option was granted by the Sheikh to the D’Aroy Exploration
Company (Anglo-Iranian) in 1938 covering the v/hric of-his territories. This opcion v/as
^ter transferred to Petroleum Concessions, L.'d., and ir 1939 a- concession agroeme"!’was
sion^d with Petroleum Development ( Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ), Ltd. No work has been unefertaken.
Sharjah.
81. A concession agreement between the Sheikh and Petroleum Concessions Ltd,
(l.P.C. Croup) was signed in 1937. Some geological exploration has neen done, kirn;
ovdng to the war, ' : 'his was not completed, and ;J o drilling has taken place.
Dubai. _ •
<j 2. An agreement between the Sheikh and Petroleum Development (Trucial Cp .st),
Ltd., (l.P.C. Group) was signed in February 1937. No exploration has yet been under
taken ,
Ajm an.
83 . A short-term agreement was s
of this agreement are now in progress,
areas without specific permission.
in 1939 and negotiations for an extension
There is a restriction against entering certain
/Umm js£ J^umin,

About this item

Content

The file is comprised of a paper produced by the Political Intelligence Centre (Middle East Forces): 'Paper No. 80: Middle East Oil' dated 28 March 1946.

The paper (ff 4-17) includes a précis and then lists the oil-producing countries of the Middle East with their oil concessions and assessment of their known oil reserves and future potential (Persia; Iraq; Egypt; Saudi Arabia; Kuwait; Qatar). Further analysis concerns the importance and potential of Middle East oil placed in a world context. The paper also includes a table 'World Oil Production and Reserves, 1944' listed by region.

A further section list exploratory work being undertaken in non-producing areas (Syria and Lebanon; Palestine; Muscat, Oman and Dhofar; Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ; Turkey; Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan ; Cyprus; Yemen; Aden Protectorate). The report also includes a map 'Middle East Oil - Secret' (folio 12) and a distribution list.

Also included in the file is a copy of an article 'Big Oil Boom in Saudi Arabia' from the New York Times and Statesman Special Service , 4 December 1946.

The principal correspondents are: the Head of the Political Intelligence Centre, Middle East Forces, Cairo (Colonel J G Clarke); 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 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. , Muscat.

Extent and format
1 file (17 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 19; 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 in Latin script
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'File 14/15 Middle East Oil' [‎10r] (19/38), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/6/445, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100055963891.0x000014> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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