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Coll 20/18 'Muscat: Oil: Muscat Commercial Concession' [‎6r] (11/855)

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The record is made up of 1 file (425 folios). It was created in 8 Feb 1934-25 Oct 1946. 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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EXT, 587/43
CONFIDENTIAL
EXTIEETAL DEPARTLiENT >
INDIA OEPICE,
WHITEHALL, S.W.I.
ci/tr Pebruar /, 1945
Dear Prior,
Will you please refer to your endorsement No.967.3. of 31st
December, 1944 forwarding a copy of Galloway*s letter No.S.2050.
1401 of the 11th December cn the subject of oil concessions in Hus cat.
We have taken up here the suggestion that Petroleum
Concessions Ltd. might under-take geological work in Muscat in
the winter of 1945/46, and have discussed the matter with
Mr, Wheatley of that Company. It appears that they had already
been planning geophysical surveys for next winter and were about
to submit proposals to the U. S.A. Petroleum Administrator for
War in order to obtain the necessary staff and equipment from the
U. S.A., since these are apparently unobtainable in this country
at the moment. They have already secured Treasury sanction to
the dollar expenditure involved. Mr. Wheatley told us that P.C.L.
have in mind another expedition to the Barain’s oasis and the
Jebel Paiyah - Jebel Hafit area, probably in two parts, (i) a small
preliminary geological mapping party, and (2) a larger geophysical
survey party to follow on, the latter to include a number of
American geophysical experts since at present apparently there are
no British ones. P. C.L^ plans are, however, not yet finally
worked out and they have promised to let us have something more
definite in writing about the middle of March. In any case
everything depends on the approval of the American P.A.W.
I an, therefore, writing to you now merely to let you Know
in a preliminary way what is in the air. Wheatley mentioned to us
also the possibility that he might arrange for the Company's man
Williamson to pay you a visit at Bushire before long in order
to talk the matter over with you. It seems that there is a
likelihood of Williamson being in. charge of the geological
napping party if the plans mature. How the Company are to tackle
the problem of getting into the Barainian area and of being
allowed to stay there for a sufficient length of time when they
are there, is a question that will need a good deal of thought.
I am sending a copy of this letter to Caroe, Galloway 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. , Bahrein.
Yours sincerely.
CSgd.) R. PEEL;
* i
The Hon'ble Sir Geoffrey Prior, K.C.I.E,
The Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. ,
Bushire.

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Content

Correspondence pertaining to the commercial oil concession agreement between the Sultan of Muscat, Said bin Taimur [Sa‘īd ibn Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd], and Petroleum Development (Oman and Dhofar) Limited, signed in June 1937. The correspondence is principally between the two involved parties, the Iraq Petroleum Company Limited and Petroleum Concessions Limited (parent and sister companies of Petroleum Development (Oman and Dhofar), respectively), Burma Oil Company, 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 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 Muscat, 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. , the Foreign Office, the Admiralty, the External Affairs Department of the Government of India, and the Petroleum Department of the Ministry of Fuel and Power.

The papers deal with the possibilities of finding oil in the Sultanate of Muscat and which companies to invite to investigate, the negotiations, drafting and signing of the eventual agreements, and the extension of the options period in January 1942. Copies of the final agreements are included in the file (folios 166-80 (Muscat) and 181-96 (Dhofar)).

The file also contains the following:

  • correspondence concerning the question of how to deal with the Sultan's contact with Standard Oil without the consent of the British government
  • correspondence concerning the political agreement between the company and the British government that accompanied such concession agreements (the final agreement and the exchange of notes regarding it can be found in file IOR/L/PS/12/2976)
  • correspondence concerning the effort by Iraq Petroleum Company to extend their concession agreements in Ajman and Qatar due to time lost during the Second World War
  • correspondence concerning the Sultan's complaints about the terms of the concession agreement and his desire to invite another company to carry out serious operations in his territory.
Extent and format
1 file (425 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged in chronological order from the back to the front.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 427; 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.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 20/18 'Muscat: Oil: Muscat Commercial Concession' [‎6r] (11/855), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2975, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100066388752.0x00000e> [accessed 4 May 2024]

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