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Coll 30/123 'Bahrain (Unallotted Zone) Oil Concession: Negotiations with Petroleum Concessions Ltd.' [‎233r] (465/801)

The record is made up of 1 file (398 folios). It was created in 24 Oct 1935-18 May 1938. 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. .

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A nee ting as held 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. on the
/ Meeting as held at the India Of ice on the ^
9ti Only to discuss cxaestionp. connected with oil at Bahrein*
The following were present:-
M
- 4'
r. Brenan# Foreign Office.
- ^ ^i r< diarli ngf Petroleum depart? lent
imaahfler^i^iivor fc»
a representative of the
v Store Departmentf d iiralty.
:r. 'niton,
Mr. Clauson, )
Lord Hood. )
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. .
of
pr
The meeting first examined the question of the ownership
the Hawar Islands. It was agreed that on the evidence at
ssent available these Islands appeared to belong to the
Sheikh of Bahrein, and that the burden of disproving his claim
la ¥ on any other potential claimants. It was agreed that the
Sheikh of Bahrein should be informed accordingly*
V- ^ /v A k
The meeting then considered various que stions arising
out of the negotiations for the unallotted area at Bahrein*
lor which the Bahrein Petroleum Company was competing.
The Admiralty representative raised the question of
pre-emption by His ka,,esty f s Government in time of
emergency. He pointed out that the present mining lease
held by the Bahrein Petroleum Company differed 11*0 i the
other oil agreemen s in the C-ulf, and those to which
Petroleum Concessions LiiTiited were being asked to
subscribe, in the respect that it contained no
pre-emption clause. e said that in the event of the
Bahrein Petroleum Company obtaining the lease of the
unallotted area the Admiralty would like to see a percentage
pre-emption clause inclu ed which woul cover the whole of
Bahrein, ihis gave rise to some ( iscussion. r. tarlLng
considered that it ould be unfair to bring up the ol lease
and to try to obtain concessions over the whole area*
whilst it as pointed out that to include a pre—einp 11 on clause
in an agreement covering the unallotted area would merely
tend to draw attention to the absence of the pro—caption ^
clause in he present mining lease. But the point was not
pursued* and it was agreed that the Bahrein Petroleum
■ ompany should merely be informed that in the event of their
0 staining the lease for the unallotted area from the
Sheikh* they would be required to subscribe to such
9 *»eeooioao as His .Majesty’s Government would lay down.
Hr./

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Content

The file concerns negotiations with Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL) over oil concession rights in the Bahrain Unallotted Area (also referred to as the Additional Area), i.e. those parts of Bahrain territory not forming part of the concession awarded to the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) in 1925. The negotiations principally concerned Muharraq Island and an area around the other islands to the north of Bahrain, and the sea area to the east of Bahrain, including Fasht Dibal [Fasht ad Dībal] and the Hawar Islands.

The papers include: maps of Bahrain and proposed concession areas; draft PCL concession, 1936 (folios 361-374); minutes of meetings 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. ; negotiations with BAPCO over a counter-offer for the Unallotted area; the attitude of Shaikh Sir Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifah [Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah], Ruler of Bahrain, to the negotiations, including correspondence from the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain, Charles Dalrymple Belgrave; discussions over the status of the Hawar Islands; Admiralty, Colonial Office, and Foreign Office papers concerning territorial waters, and submarine boring for oil (folios 221-225); Petroleum Department letter concerning the financial implications of the rival bids (folios 196-197); proposals to split the Additional Area between the two companies, including Belgrave's view that it would be of greater benefit to the Shaikh to have two companies working in Bahrain (folio 161); the role in the negotiations of Frank Holmes; the Ruler of Bahrain's wish to postpone discussion of the concession for a year on account of a dispute over the status of Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. , May 1937 (folios 124, 112); a suggestion by 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. , Bahrain that the Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. problem could be solved by allowing the shaikhs of Bahrain to hold Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. as their personal property (folio 102); draft PCL concession, 1938, and copy of the 1925 oil concession (folios 58-85); and suggestions of British Government support for the PCL bid (folios 9-15).

The Arabic language content of the papers consists of the bilingual Arabic and English text of the draft concession agreement of 1938, and correspondence (with English translation) from the Ruler of Bahrain.

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
1 file (398 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 400; 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.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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Coll 30/123 'Bahrain (Unallotted Zone) Oil Concession: Negotiations with Petroleum Concessions Ltd.' [‎233r] (465/801), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3852, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100070084977.0x000044> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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