Page 40 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

27
exploration parties but as shortly afterwards exploration was closed down for the
duration of the war the matter was left pending until exploration was resumed in
1946. In May of that year the company asked for permission to operate in certain
areas some of which it was considered might eventually be found to belong to
Qatar. His Majesty’s Government decided that they could not be permitted to
operate in these areas until there had been a division of the sea-bed between
Bahrain and Qatar and expressed the opinion that it was desirable to lay down a
dividing line at a fairly early date. They reserved the right to decide the exact
location of the line but stated that the agreement of the interested parties was
desirable. In Anglo-United States talks in November 1946 it was decided that the
matter should be treated as an ordinary boundary question without raising the
general question of the continental shelf.
43. Details of the dividing line were discussed during 1947 and the decision
reached with the approval of His Majesty’s Government was announced to the
two Rulers and the two oil companies concerned in December of that year
(Appendix E). The decision was based on a median line conforming generally to
the configuration of the coast-line of the Bahrain main island, and the Qatar
peninsula. The Dibal and Jaradah shoals, which were found to lie to the east
of this line, were assigned to Bahrain, as it was decided that that State had
established sovereignty over them, and the line was bent to include the Hawar
Islands which had been awarded to Bahrain in 1939 (paragraph 41 above). With
regard to the two shoals it was stated that His Majesty’s Government were of
opinion that they should not be considered to be islands having territorial waters.
This opinion was subsequently modified (paragraph 47 below). It was decided
that Janan Island which lies close to the Hawar group of islands but is separated
from them by a deep channel and which had not been specifically mentioned in
the 1939 decision was not part of the group and that it belonged to Qatar. At
the conclusion it was stated that the decision was subject to revision in the event
of more exact geographical data being forthcoming at a later date.
44. The Ruler of Qatar while asserting his claim to the Hawar Islands and
the Dibal and Jaradah shoals expressed his readiness to accept His Majesty’s
Governments orders.(“') The Ruler of Bahrain raised a number of objections, the
most important of which concerned a map produced by Petroleum Concession
Limited in 1938 in the course of their negotiations for the additional area
(paragraph 64 below). In this much of the sea-bed awarded to Qatar was shown
within the area which was then the subject of negotiations. The Bahrain Petroleum
Company supported the Ruler’s objections and added some of their own and
Petroleum Concessions Limited also raised some objections. All the objections
were carefully considered and replies sent to the Rulers and the companies in
which they were discussed and rejected, and the addressees were asked to regard
the award which had been communicated to them as final.(6,i)
45. Salman replied on May 23, 1949 refusing to accept the award as final
and claiming the ownership of all the sea between Bahrain and Qatar.(',;) He
questioned His Majesty’s Government’s right to make a decision without reference
to him. A strongly worded reply was drafted but never sent. In November 1949
he wrote to the Political Agent with reference to the off-shore concession granted
by the Ruler of Qatar to the Superior Oil Company claiming sovereignty over
all the seas between Bahrain and Qatar and received a reply that this claim was not
admitted by His Majesty’s Government-D In December 1950the Bahrain Petroleum
Company as a result of the activities of the Superior Oil Company, who had
obtained the Qatar off-shore concession, wrote to the Political Agent objecting
once more to the division of the sea-bed made in 1947. It then came to notice
that no reply had been sent to Salman’s letter of May 23, 1949. The points raised
by him then and by the company in their recent letter were replied to in letters
addressed to them on May 14, 1951 and both were again informed that the 1947
decision would not be altered, except that the company only were told that His
Majesty’s Government had found it necessary to reconsider their opinion that
(") I.O. to F.O. Ext. 4225/46 of July 3. 1946 (E 1273/3245/91 of 1946)
( *) I.O. to F.O. Ext. 4952/46 of August 3. 1946 (E 7701/3245/91 of 1946)
(M) (E 2870/716/91 of 1947.)
(**) Tel. from P R. to F.O. 11. Saving, of April 28. 1948 (E 5382/276/91 of 1948)
( *) P.R. to F.O. Despatch 33 of May 7. 1949 (E 6151/1271/91 of 1949)
(*T) P.R. to F.O. 187/9/49 of June 17. 1949 (E 8007/1271/91 of 1949).
(**) P-R. to F.O. 146/1/50 of January 12. 1950 (EA 1276/4 of 1950).