File 537/1921 Part 1 'Persia: Oil - Defence of A.P. Oil Co's fields etc' [‎132v] (260/324)

■v
I
It
was
lfl ,, th , lt ;l force was first sent to the oil-fields.
It is on this occasion, 1915, that an d 1920.
gradually reduced to very small proportion
Possible Enemies. rwr«ea Defence Committee in August 1921 the \
4. In a paper submitted to e , Bo i s heviks owing to the absence of ^
War Office dismissed S inhospitable country,
roads over an extent of 400 5 ) j proba bi e that the Persian Government would
They also agreed that it would be mproD^ of wh)ch . they are in recei a
instigate an attack ln view o P j a ‘ 3 per cent, royalty on oil exported
For a similar reason, the fact ^at Uiey rece ]lkel t0 give trouble, and with
from the The AnglirerSan Oil Compan,.^
Swaptenh; gL" tms with the Bakhti.ri natives, and appetars to be generally
''''lAlr. Arabistan area, however, wanes into anotber “Wg. T i? eS”!?® »
rlppnlv fanatical and readily ioined the Turkish jehad m 19 5 1 e Sheikh oi
Mohammerah whose nominal control they own has m reality little influence over
them ^nd though it is to his interest to protect the pipe-line and pumping stations,
in view of the important advantages he receives m the sP a P e rents ’ &c -’ though
he is entirely pro-British, he cannot guarantee these fields against an outbreak of
lawlessness. y f his view is held both by Sir A. T. Wilson and the Aar Office
The problem is therefore, to a great extent that of overawing the tubes m
Arabistan, and, to a lesser degree, the ensuring the safety of installations throughout
TtoPfitiari mnntrv and at Abadan.
Important Points to be Protected.
6 The direct protection of the oil bores and pipe-line would be most difficult m
view of the great extent of country involved, but the points of primary importance
are fortunately few in number; these are the pumping stations, workshops and
refineries. Taken from north to south, they are as follows ;—
s
In Bakhtiari country—
Tambi, pumping station : 2-3 Europeans and 30-40 natives.
Daira Khazina, water-pumping station : 2-3 Europeans and 30-40 natives.
Mulla Sani, pumping station : 2-3 Europeans and 30-40 natives.
In Arabistan proper—
Ahwaz, workshops and stores : 20 Europeans and 260 natives.
Kut Abdulla, pumping station : 2-3 Europeans and 30-40 natives.
Derakwani, pumping station : 2-3 Europeans and 30-40 natives.
Abadan, rehneries : 70 Europeans and 5,000 natives.
7. With the exception of Ahwaz and Abadan, referred to below, these pumping
stations are enclosed in strong unclimbable wire fences. If small blockhouses be built
at each of these posts manned by the company’s employees, they should be capable of
resisting attack for a considerable period.
8 . At Ahwaz and Abadan the problem is greater, since the area to be covered
is larger, but the provision of wire-enclosed perimeters (already constructed at
Abadan) should render these places also safe from sudden rushes/ Ahwaz may be
taken as a convenient centre for occupation by troops, if required. It is 70 miles
from Abadan and 60 miles from the actual oil-fields
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Communications.
9. The best communications are by river: width averages 300 yards; current,
6 miles per hour to 2 ^ miles per hour; navigable for craft drawing 5-6 feet : —
(a.) From Basra to Ahwaz is thirty-six to seventy-two hours by steamer. Three
at least locally-owned craft can be counted as available, and will tow
barges without difficulty to Ahwaz at all seasons. There are, however,
rapi s just below the town where steamers generally tranship carg° eS '
Four hundred and fifty men with ten days’ rations can always travel by
tins route.
(5.) Ahwaz to Daira Khazina is approximately twenty-four hours by steamer