Coll 30/87(2) Part II 'Qatar: Oil Concession - P.C.L.'s Operations.' [124r] (250/603)
The record is made up of 1 file (296 folios). It was created in 6 Jan 1945-13 Apr 1948. 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! HOLBORN 8434.
The Bahrein Petroleum Cc— 1
Cliffords Inn,
London, E.C.4.
■o
2nd June 1947.. '
Dear Mr. Harrison,
I have this morning received a cable from the General Manager
of this Company at Bahrein, to the effect that he had on the 1st June been
verbally infomed by the
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
that H.M.Government had approved
the Comp'any’s request, (a) to locate drilling holes at any convenient place
within 440 yards seaward of the high tide mark on the Kawar Island, providing
such location is not at any one of the many small islands or sandbanks adja
cent to the main Hawar Island, and (b^ that this 440 yd. limit will not in
any manner influence the location of the authoritatively defined boundary of
"Hawar” which is being considered by H.M.Government. The General Manager
adds that he expects to resume operations in the course of a few days on re
ceipt of the letter from the
Political Agent
A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
.
Thank you for dealing with this matter. I gather from the cable
I cite that the Company had not commenced operations on Hawar Island itself
close to high tide mark, or if they had done so, they had ceased immediately
upon receipt of my letter to them of 21st May pointing out that it was not in
order for them to proceed until the matter had been dealt with by H.M.Govern
ment in London.
May I add that I have to-day received a letter from mt.H.B.
Hichols, Vice President of the Company, to the effect that they had learned
with some concern of the proposed operations at Haw r ar prior to the receipt cf
formal approval from London, and they had cabled on the 27th May to Mr.Russell
Brown pointing out that he was not authorised to drill elsewhere than points
G, H. and I above high tide mark and that he "should suspend" operations until
and unless formal specific written approval was received.
F.A.K .Harrison Esq.,
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.
,
Whitehall, S.W.l.
About this item
- Content
The file concerns the operations of Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL) (and its subsidiary Petroleum Development (Qatar) Limited) in Qatar. Of particular importance in the file is the issue of the division of the sea bed for drilling operations between PCL's concession, and that of the Bahrain Petroleum Company Limited (BAPCO) in Bahrain.
The file contains discussion of the issue by the 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. , the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Fuel and Power, the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Bahrain.
The papers cover: the resumption of drilling operations in Qatar after their suspension during the Second World War; payment of royalties; the Hawar Islands; the granting of permission to use wireless sets; the response of British officials to a United States Government request to PCL for information on petroleum resources in Qatar and the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , October-November 1946; aerial surveys of the Bahrain-Qatar Unallotted Area; the application of US President Harry S Truman's continental shelf doctrine to the issue (e.g. folios 141, 110); maps of the area; Admiralty comments on the need for all parties to be aware that the sea bed only was concerned, and that the waters above, and free navigation, were in no way affected (folio 46); correspondence from the oil companies involved; and the reactions of local rulers to the negotiations.
The file also contains five maps.
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 (296 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 296; 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. Foliation anomaly: 268a.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 30/87(2) Part II 'Qatar: Oil Concession - P.C.L.'s Operations.' [124r] (250/603), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3806B, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/mirador/81055/vdc_100056534850.0x000034> [accessed 19 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3806B
- Title
- Coll 30/87(2) Part II 'Qatar: Oil Concession - P.C.L.'s Operations.'
- Pages
- 5r:6v, 23r:30v, 86r, 105r, 124r:124v, 131r, 212r, 267r
- Author
- Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO)
- Usage terms
- The copyright status is unknown. Please contact [email protected] with any information you have regarding this item.
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3806B
- Title
- Coll 30/87(2) Part II 'Qatar: Oil Concession - P.C.L.'s Operations.'
- Pages
- 5r:6v, 23r:30v, 86r, 105r, 124r:124v, 131r, 212r, 267r
- Author
- Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO)
- Usage terms
- The copyright status is unknown. Please contact [email protected] with any information you have regarding this item.
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