Page 546 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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In ordor to incroaso the facilities on tlio Adcn-Muscat air route, in March
a Royal Air Forco party accompanied by tho Political Agent, Muscat, pro­
ceeded to a point on it in a sloop provided by the Senior Naval Officer, Persian
Gulf Division. Tho purpose of tho visit was successfully carried out and this
important route may now bo considered to have been established.
Tho Imporial Airways services undor tho Empire Air Mail Servico were
increased from four to live a week.
Fresh Civil Air Agreements wero 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 tho Muscat Civil
Air Agreement was therefore not renewed.
Plans had been made that in tho case of internal trouble at Dibai, which
appeared not unlikely, for Imperial Airways, in co-operation with the Royal
Air Forco, 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 wero made of various parts of tho Sultan’s territory, including the
province of Dhofar. On land, after considerable negotiations by the Political
Authorities with tho local Shaikhs concerned, Petroleum Concessions Limited's
parties from Muscat and from the Trucial Coast penetrated into Baraimi,
a convenient centre for tho exploration of possible oil bearing areas in tho
Trucial Coast hinterland. Tho 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, tho latter representing the Standard Oil
Company of California as well as Indian interests. These negotiations wero
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 tho
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 the
end of the year.
At Bahrain the Bahrain Petroleum Company, who had completed tho
construction of their refinery in 1937, continued to expand. The production,
for the last four years is as follows in tons of oil:—
1935 170,388
1930 500,000
1937 1,001,347
1938 1,185,428
The total personnel of the Company for the last four years is as follows :—
1935. 1930. 1937. 1938.
Americans 49 153 120 90
European British subjects . 20 157. 308 224
Indian British subjects 01 323 214 422
Bahrainis 1,283 3,747 3,304 1,590.
flraniuns.
Others •< Iraqis. } 244 658 688 280
Kuwaitis eto.

Total 1,003 6,038 4,040 2,018

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