ملف رقم ١٤٢١ لسنة ١٩٠٨، جزء ٣، "بلاد فارس: النفط؛ مفاوضات بين شيخ المحمرة وشركة النفط الأنجلو-فارسية" [ظ‎‎٣‎١‎٧] (٣٣٨/٢٠٠)

Whereby it is agreed that —
1. The Sheikh undertakes to hire to the said Company an area free of date
trees of 650 (six hundred and fifty) jaribs of 4,669 square yards per jarib, on
Abadan Island, situated between the village of Baraim on the north-west and
Buwardeh on the south-east, having a frontage of about 2,000 yards on the
Shatt-al-Arab, and also a strip of land not less than thirty yards in breadth for a
right of way connecting the land abovementioned with the Bahmanshir River ;
but the public rights of way must remain.
2. Should the said Company find the ground selected as above, after further
examination, not suitable for their requirements, they should have the right to
select other sites of the same area and same description. Should the Company
require more land, free of date trees, adjacent to the lands leased to them, the
Sheikh undertakes, in case the Company asks for such land within a space of
two years from the date of this agreement, to grant them land not exceeding one
hundred jaribs in area, at the same moderate rate. If the said Company ask
for more land after two years from the date of this agreement, they shall pay
rental at the fair current rate of the time for similar land in those localities.
3. The Sheikh further undertakes to grant free of charge to the Company
a strip of land for the laying of such pipe-lines as may be necessary, above or
below ground, situated in his lands or in those lands for the time being under his
jurisdiction, or leased or purchased by him from others, with success thereto ;
and also to grant free, in connection with the said pipe-line, such uncultivated
land as may be needed by them for telegraph or telephone stations, or pump
ing stations, or quarters for line inspectors and staff, having an area of three
jaribs for each pumping station, and one and a half jaribs for each of the other
stations.
It is to be understood that at the expiration of the Concession, or of any
extension or renewal thereof, the Company shall relinquish every pumping or
other station that may be erected on these lands, and shall not be entitled to
demand any refund of expenses in this connection.
It is agreed that in places where the pipe-line is exposed, guards shall be
appointed. Further, that the Sheikh will exert himself to the utmost to prevent
the wilful setting fire to the oil in the pipe. In the event of such a contingency
occurring he will endeavour to the utmost of his power to trace and punish the
offenders and, if they possess anything, to recover compensation, but the Sheikh
does not accept personally any pecuniary liability for loss which may accrue to
the Company from this cause, and will not pay compensation.
4. The Sheikh further undertakes to hire to the Company an area or areas,
aggregating ten jaribs at Ahwaz and Nasiri, having frontage on the eastern
bank (edge) of the River Karun, for the storage of material, and building of
storehouses, and such other buildings as are needed for the Company’s business,
at a rate of one pound sterling per jarib per annum, i.e., that the yearly amount
of the rent thereof wdll be ten pounds sterling.
The Company have power to select a site or sites on the eastern edge of the
Karun, located opposite the island in the river, upstream from the garden adjacent
to the landing place used by steamers plying on the Upper Karun. Should
the Company find the ground selected as above, after further examination, not
suitable for their requirements, they shall have the right to select other sites of
the same area and description : and whatever buildings there shall be on these
areas shall be left by the Company on the expiry of the lease or of any extension
or renewal thereof and they are not entitled to demand any refund of expenses
in this connection.
5. In order that the Company may be satisfied that it has received from
the Sheikh good and sufficient title to these lands, and that no one in future can
put forward any claim in regard to the lands, the Sheikh undertakes for the com
plete validity thereof to cause this document to be signed and sealed by the
elders of his tribes.
6. The Sheikh further undertakes to appoint watchmen for the efficient
guarding of the property of the Company in each district situate within