Coll 30/216 'Development of oil supplies in the Middle East.' [‎20r] (39/131)

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I-— Egypt.
9. Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields, Ltd., an associated company of the Royal
Dutch-Shell and Anglo-Iranian groups, has been operating in Egypt since 1911.
During the period 1911-43 it produced 10,114,000 tons of oil. Production was
first from the Gemsa field, which is now exhausted, then from Hurghada and since
1938 from that field and the newly discovered structure at Ras Gnarib. In 1943
production from Ras Gharib was 1,189,348 tons and from Hurghada 71.671 tons.
The Hurghada field is now almost exhausted; the structure at Ras Gharib has
been very extensively developed owing to abnormal wartime requirements, and it
is now snowing signs of having passed its peak. All these areas are on the west
coast of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez.
10. After the revision in 1937 of the provisions of the Egyptian Mining
Law relating to petroleum exploration and development, a large number of
exploration permits were granted to British and American oil companies and
their subsidiaries over areas along the east side of the Gulf of Suez, two areas
(Ruwaisat and Maghara) in the Sinai desert south of the Mediterranean coast,
and in the western desert. Prospecting was suspended, with the consent of the
Egyptian Government, during the campaign in the western desert, but activity
has now been resumed and several test wells are to be drilled. Until this test
drilling has been carried out, it is obviously impossible to say anything in regard
to the prospects.
11. Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields has a refinery at Suez with an annual capacity
of 1,250,000 tons; there is also a small refinery there belonging to the Egyptian
Government with a capacity of about 60,000 tons per year. The oil processed is
royalty oil from the Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields Ltd.
12. Except for some asphalt, the whole of the Egyptian production is con
sumed in the country. It is possible, however, that a small proportion might
in peace time become available for export, provided that production can be
kept at its present level of some 1,250,000 tons a year.
II.— Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.
13. In 1923/24 geologists of the A.I.O.C. and Royal Dutch-Shell groups
carried out a joint survey of the area between the coast and the watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. of the
Red Sea mountains, covering an area of some 10,000 square miles. The geologists
came to the conclusion that there would be little or no chance of discovering oil,
and did not recommend any test-drilling.
III.— Eritrea.
14. On the whole, Eritrea has but little attraction to offer. The only area of
probable interest is that of the Dahlaq islands Avhich lie to the east of Massawa.
The Azienda Generale Italiana Petroli began drilling operations on one of these
islands two years or so before the outbreak of war. Some traces of oil were found,
but the war caused operations to be abandoned before conclusive results could be
obtained.
IV .—British Somaliland.
15. Geologists of the A.I.O.C. in 1918-1920 and of the Anglo-Saxon Petro
leum Co. in 1931 made surveys of British Somaliland. In both cases it was
decided that, although there were some seepages and a small anticlinal structure
at Daga Shabell, some 30 miles south of Berbera, the prospects of commercial
success were too remote to warrant drilling.
16. In October, 1944, however, the Somaliland Oil Exploration Company,
an associated company of the Royal Dutch-Shell group, obtained an oil explora
tion licence covering 27,000 square miles of the Protectorate (between one-third
and one-half of the total area), including the Daga Shabell structure. The com
pany is required to carry out a geophysical and topographical survey within two
years.
V.— Turkey.
17. Indications of petroleum are fairly widespread in Turkey, there being
seepages in European Turkey near the Sea of Marmara, in central and eastern
Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. and in the southern and south-eastern parts of the country.
[63—76] b 2