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Coll 30/138 'Oil: Debai Political Agreement and Refinery Agreement.' [152r] (303/369)
The record is made up of 1 file (183 folios). It was created in 2 Apr 1936-25 May 1937. It was written in English. 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. .
Transcription
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TELEPHONE : NATIONAL 3582
9 . TELEGRAMS : V
INLAND : PETCONCESS, FINSQUARE, LONDON
FOREIGN : PETCONCESS, LONDON
a
^ PETROLEUM CONGE
CODES :
BENTLEY'S SECOND PHRASE
BENTLEY'^.COMPLETE PHRASE WITH OIL SUPPLEMENT
LOMBARD
itr UN
LIMITED
DIRECTORS :
Sir John Cadman,
G.C.M.G.
[Knight] Grand Cross of [the Order of] St Michael and St George (accolade).
(Chairman)
A. Agnew, C.B.E.
R. Cayrol, D.S.O., D.S.C. (French)
W. Fraser. C!2~ v
C. S. Gulber -rerly Armenian)
J. B. A. Kessle (Dutch)
Sir John B. Lloyd
J. A. Meny (French)
H. G. Seidel (U.S.A.)
R. W. Sellers
J. Skliros
PC.28/78.
Dear Mr. 'Walton,
CITY-GATE HOUSE
FINSBURY SQUARE
LONDON • E.C.2
31st August, 193S.
Mr. Skliros promised in his letter dated May 29th to revert later
to the subject of your proposed formula binding the Company (or, as it
may be. Companies) to erect a refinery on the Arab side of the Persian
Gulf, as part of the Political Agreement between it, or them, and the
Government.
Re has been unwell lately and his attendance at the office is,
for the time, very irregular# He has asked me, therefore, to deal
with the matter on his behalf.
As he feared, the Board did not find acceptable the clause which
you proposed in your letter PZ#3010/36 dated May 26th.
The formula agreed for inclusion in the Qatar Agreement of June
5 th, 1936, makes the erection of a refinery conditional upon (a) com
mercial production being, in the Company’s opinion, assured, and (b)
commercial conditions justifying such a step. As regards (a), yotur
Draft of May 26th generally meets this point. As regards (b), tnis
is evidently the crux of the matter. If the Political Agreement, as
ultimately signed, does not make the refinery conditional upon com
mercial considerations, TT'seoms that it would be tantamount to saying
"the obligation to erect refineries is absolute, even though quite un
justified by commercial considerations, and therefore liable to involve
the Company in heavy loss".
It is the view of the Board that such an obligation could be
accepted only with the greatest reluctance by a Company which had
already made the efforts, taken the risks, and incurred the expenses
necessary to the location and development of an oilfield. The Board
About this item
- Content
The file concerns the preparation and signing of two agreements relating to the Debai [Dubai] oil concession:
- Political agreement between HM Government and Petroleum Concessions Limited, and its subsidiary company, Petroleum Development ( Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ) Limited, setting out the terms in the event of the Company obtaining a concession from the Shaikh of Dubai
- Refinery agreement between HM Government and Petroleum Concessions Limited (and its subsidiary companies) relating to the refining of crude oil, setting out the terms for the erection of a refinery or refineries on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
The papers include: comments by various British Government departments (including the Admiralty, Air Ministry, Petroleum Department and the Foreign Office); drafts of the agreements; correspondence from Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL); correspondence concerning the insertion of a pre-emption clause in the political agreement setting out the British Government's right of pre-emption of all crude oil obtained under the concession in the event of a state of national emergency or war; signed copies of the two agreements, dated 5 February 1937 (folios 20-23); and 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. confidential print entitled 'Dubai Oil Concession and Connected Documents', containing copies of the political agreement, the commercial agreement between the Shaikh of Dubai and Petroleum Concessions Limited, dated 22 May 1937, and related correspondence.
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 (183 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 184; 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. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3872
- Title
- Coll 30/138 'Oil: Debai Political Agreement and Refinery Agreement.'
- Pages
- 132r:133v, 152r:153v
- Author
- Longrigg, Stephen Hemsley
- Usage terms
- The copyright status is unknown. Please contact [email protected] with any information you have regarding this item.