مجموعة ٦/ ٤٨ "النفط: امتيازات في المملكة العربية السعودية. (الأحساء)" [ظ‎‎٤‎٦‎٧] (١١٥٣/٩٣٦)

Company and the arrangement as regards non-competition between the groups
composing the Iraq Petroleum Company was confirmed in an agreement between
the groups, entered into in 1928. This was a private agreement between the
groups with which the British Government was not associated. Under this
agreement a line was drawn round Arabia, Palestine and Asia Minor, which
excluded the Sultanate of Koweit and the Farsan Islands, but included Bahrein,
and an area was thus defined within which the various groups constituting the
Iraq Petroleum Company agreed that they would not seek for or obtain oil
concessions otherwise than through the Iraq Petroleum Company or its nominee.
On the admission of French and American interests the share capital of the
Iraq Petroleum Company was distributed as follows :—
Percentage.
Anglo-Persian Oil Company ... ... 23-75
Royal Dutch Shell ... ... ... 23-75
French Group ... ... ... 23-75
American Group( 1 ) ... ... ... 23-75
C. S. Gulbenkian ... ... ... 5 00
100-00
As the Royal Dutch Shell is 60 per cent. Dutch and 40 per cent. British,
the British shareholding in the company mm only represents about 33J per cent.
I he Iraq Petroleum Company is still technically a British company, as in
article 32 of its convention with the Government of Iraq the company must be
and i emain a British company, registered in Great Britain, and the chairman
must at all times be a British subject. But the position is different from a
British point of view, from that which formerly obtained when the company was
British in fact as well as in name.
Apart from the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and the Burmah Oil Company,
there are no really large oil companies which are entirely British, and which
UU ^ compete with the big groups represented on the Iraq Petroleum Company.
Company has never been inclined to undertake exploration work
outside India. There may, however, be some instances where the Iraq Petroleum
Company is not prepared to seek concessions in the reserved area, and where the
Anglo-Persian Oil Company, either by itself or in association with one or more
of the other groups, may be allowed to acquire concessions.
(2) British Oil Development Company and Mosul Oil-fields {Limited).—On
the 20th April, 1932, the Iraq Government granted an oil concession to the British
Oil Development Company (Limited) over the western portion of Iraq The
concession is for a period of seventy-five years and covers an area of about
40,000 square miles, comprising all Iraq lands situated west of the River Tigris
and north of the thirty-third parallel of latitude. A special law confirming & the
British Oil Development Concession was passed and published in the Omdal
Gazette on the 29th May, 1932. This is reckoned as the date of the commence
ment of the concession. The company must be and remain a British company
registered m Great Britain, and the chairman must be a British subject There
is, however, a large foreign interest in the company. The British Oil Develop
ment Company was first registered in 1928 with a nominal capital of £82 500
the original directors being Sir Edward Manville (chairman) Sir Edward
Mountain (chairman of the Eagle Star and British Dominions Insurance
Gompany) (Sir E. Mountain subsequently became chairman of the British Oil
Development Company), the late Admiral Lord Wester Wemyss W R Brown
(representing Lord Inverforth) General Sir A. Mola (Italy), three’representatives
of the Italian Azienda Generale Itahana Petroli, and E. C. Simmons (solicitor)
At some stage, but when it actually occurred is not clear from the information
available, German and Franco-Swiss interests were also included.
•was tbe AmeriCan ^ ^ Development Corporation)
Standard Oil Company of New Jersey
•Standard Oil Company of New York (now
Gulf Oil Corporation of Pennsylvania
Percentage.
•• •• •• •• 41f
the Socony-Vacuum Company) 41 f
16f