مجموعة ٦/ ٤٨ "النفط: امتيازات في المملكة العربية السعودية. (الأحساء)" [ظ‎‎٧] (١١٥٣/١٤)

'1
northern boundary of Saudi Arabia, and from the southern end of the westeily
edge of the Dahana such boundary shall continue in a stmight line south 30 east
to the southern boundary of Saudi Arabia. ( „
For convenience this area may be referred to as the ‘ exclusive area.
Article
3.
In addition to the grant of the exclusive area described in article '1 of this
agreement, the Government also hereby grants to the company a preference right
to acquire an oil concession covering the balance of eastern Saudi Arabia
extending as far west of the westerly boundary of the exclusive area as the
contact between the sedimentary and igneous formations. This preference right
includes such rights as the Government may now have, or may hereafter acquire,
in the so-called Neutral Zone bordering on the Persian Gulf to the south of
Kuwait. The nature of this preference right is to be hereafter agreed upon. The
term “ oil concession ” as used in this article means an exclusive concession
covering the same products which are covered by the present agreement.
Furthermore, the Company’s geologists shall have the right to examine the
region covered by the preference right just referred to (excepting the Neutral
Zone referred to above), in so far as such examination may be necessary or
advisable for a better understanding of the geological character of the exclusive
area.
Article 4.
Within the time agreed in article 18 of this agreement the Company shall
make an initial loan to the Government of £30,000 gold, or its equivalent.
Article 5.
The Company shall pay the Government annually the sum of £5,000 gold,
or its equivalent. For convenience this payment is termed an annual rental, and
it is payable in advance. The first annual rental shall be paid within the time
agreed in article 18 of this agreement; thereafter, so long as the contract is not
terminated, the annual rental shall be due upon each anniversary of the effective
date hereof and shall be payable within thirty days after such anniversary,
provided that upon the commercial discovery of oil no further annual rental shall
be due or payable.
Article 6.
If this contract has not been terminated within eighteen months from the
effective date hereof, the Company shall make a second loan to the Government
amounting to £20.000 gold, or its equivalent. The due date of such loan shall
be eighteen months from the effective date hereof, but the Company shall have
fifteen days from the due date within which to make the loan.
Article 7.
During the life of this agreement the Government shall be under no obliga
tion to repay the initial loan of £30,000 gold (or its equivalent), or the second
loan of £20,000 gold (or its equivalent). The Company shall have the right to
recover the amount of these two loans by way of deductions from one-half of
the royalties due the Government. If the amount of the two loans, in whole or
in part, shall not have been so recovered by the Company upon the termination
of this contract, the Government shall repay the unrecovered amount in four
equal and consecutive annual instalments, the first instalment to be paid within
one year from the date of the termination of this agreement. Furthermore, until
such unrecovered amount has been repaid by the Government, the Company’s
preference right, referred to in article 3 hereof, shall continue in force.
Article 8.
Upon the effective date of this agreement the Company shall commence plans
and preparations for geological work, so planning the work as to take advantage
of the cooler season for more efficient work in the field, and of the hotter season
for the necessary office work of compiling data and reports. In any event, the
actual field work shall commence not later than the end of September 1933, and
it shall be continued diligently until operations connected with drilling are
commenced or until the contract is terminated. b