'File 8/8 II Annual Administration Report of The Bahrain Agency' [‎328r] (655/720)

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pmouruM CTCTasion.i iBirry.!)
BAHHAIW
ftt'Mf&Y OF OPEjUTTQKS Fqr 194g
^ mjlLim 1943
(•) tuition at th e er r of ^ecenber 1043,
• •xplaia*^ la paragraph 8 of tha Annual waport for 1942,
operation* In Qatar were appended under inatmetlons from His
Majesty*a <.oe€n»ant in the siMssr of 1942, and there mrm no
further developnents up to tha end of Deceafcer 1945.
urlng the latter half of 1942 and the year 1945, after the
initial remoral of drilling equipment to India and tha danands of
the and ftary had been satisfied, the ell camp at ^han was
gradually ccnsplfftsly stripped of all squlpsiant and nsterlal which
could be usefully employed elsewhere. This selrage included canp
i r stall ctIona, eater, lighting, refrigeration, household equipment
and furniture, end any plane to reopen the mm nust Include e
conpletely new outfit and earefully selected food stocks.
(te: ^epenelcc : Itv^tion vie~a^Tlg Political ^y t t. the Euler of star
Jtofctag 1945 the Pell tied Agent, Bahrain, wee In correspondence
with the r ruler of star with the object of obtaining forwcl recogni
tion of the neeeeelty for the suspension of the operations of tie
oapamy In atsr. fter considerable evasions tad Tael Hat Ions It
transpired that his real contention wee that be had agreed to the
suspension of operations because Hie Majeety’e Co»er!ment wished
this and not because tbs Conpany was juatlfled in stopping the work
un’er Article 15 (force majeurej ©f the Canoes*Ion. 'fhe T^uler
eventually agreed to the following wording:
"Tn deference to tbo wishes of His Majesty’s noisine—il. the
Abal- h of vatar agrees to the suspension of Messrs. Petroleun
DeTslopnent (Qatar) Llaltad's operations In Catar subject
to the fulfilment of the above undert&klcgs w
this uwt duly embcKlled In an agreement alined by the ^litleal
Agent and the uler of Qatar, copies of which are on record In the
Petroleum nonoeselons Limited office, Bahrain, and their Mead Office
In Ton* am.
mtciAX co.a::t npuok^jm 1945
he situation as explained In last year’s report is unchanred. The
F? hslkhs appear quite content to aeeept the position that owing to condi
tions created by the war further exploration in their territories would
be impossible until the situation changed.
m/yxo^ •• CT rnr mim. or rm snhixvrow
The Ahaikh's attitude to the suspension of oil operations baa
been referred to in para 1 (b) above, ""he part played by the 'oatpany
in tM* r r coaaleted of undertaking to eontlnue the rain and
Incidental concession payments, the maintenance of a caretaker's
staff of atari Arabs in .star, end the provision of certain ftecili-
ti* s to le eejoyed by the Ifnlcr. "lieec facilities were ell of e minor
nature and included a regular mall eerriee between voter and Bahrein,
urlmg 1945 the Company urae able to fulfil all these obligations and
(e) atar