'تقارير الإدارة حول الخليج العربي لعام ١٩٣٨ [ظ‎‎٤] (٦٠/٨)

( a )
In order to increase the facilities on the Aden-Muscat air route, in March
a Royal Air Force party accompanied by the Political Agent, Muscat, pro
ceeded to a point on it in a sloop provided by the Senior Naval Officer, Persian
Gull Division. The purpose of the visit was successfully carried out and this
important route may now be considered to have been established.
The Imperial Airways services under the Empire Air Mail Service were
increased from four to five a week.
Fresh Civil Air Agreements were entered into with the Shaikhs of Bahrain
and Dibai. The civil air base in Muscat territory at Gwadur was for techni
cal reasons transferred in May to Jiunri in Kalat State, and the Muscat Civil
Air Agreement was therefore not renewed.
Plans had been made that in the case of internal trouble at Dibai, which
appeared not unlikely, for Imperial Airways, in co-operation with the Royal
Air Force, to use Ras al Khaimah instead as a refuelling stop. One such
occasion arose (see under Trucial Coast below).
Oil Interests. —Petroleum Concessions Limited who had in 1937 obtained
two concessions covering the territory of the Sultan of Muscat and Oman,
commenced exploration by air, with their own aeroplane, and on land Aerial
surveys were made of various parts of the Sultan's territory, including the
province of Dhofar. On land, after considerable negotiations by the Political
Authorities with the local Shaikhs concerned. Petroleum Concessions Limited's
parties from Muscat and from the Trucial Coast penetrated into Baraimi,
a convenient centre for the exploration of possible oil bearing areas in the
Trucial Coast hinterland. The parties met with a certain amount of obstruc
tion and little actual exploration could be carried out. Nevertheless no
untoward incidents occurred, personal contacts were established with the
local petty Shaikhs, generally speaking the ice may be said to have been
broken, and when the explorations are renewed next winter there is a reason
able prospect of their being more successful.
Negotiations for an oil concession at Gwadur, in Muscat territory, were
begun with the Sultan by rival companies, the Burmah Oil Company and
Indian Oil Concessions Limited, the latter representing the Standard Oil
Company of California as well as Indian interests. These negotiations were
in progress at the end of the year.
On the Trucial Coast Petroleum Concessions Limited, who had after
prolonged negotiations secured concessions from the Shaikhs of Dibai and
Sharjah, continued their negotiations with the remaining Shaikhs and by the
end of the year had obtained either concessions or options from the latter..
In view of the interest displayed by the Standard Oil Company of California
in the Trucial Coast area, this is satisfactory.
In Qatar drilling operations continued but oil had not been struck by tho
end of the year.
At Bahrain the Bahrain Petroleum Company, who had completed the
construction of their refinery in 1937, continued to expand. The production
for the last four years is as follows in tons of oil:—
1935 ■ 176,388
1936 . . . 509,600
1937 1,061,347
1938 1,185,428
total personnel of the Company for the last four years
is as follows :—
1935.
1936.
1937.
1938.
Americans
* •
49
153
126
90
European British subjects .
26
157
308
224
Indian British subjects
61
323
214
422
Bahrainis
• «.
1,283
3,747
3,304
1,596.
["Iranians.
Others ■< Iraqis. ^ .
244
658
688
286
[^Kuwaitis etc, J
Total
1,663
5,038
4,640
2,61&