IOR/R/15/1/668

The volume contains correspondence between the Political Resident (Trenchard Craven Fowle; Percy Gordon Loch); the Political Agent at Bahrain (Percy Gordon Loch; Tom Hickinbotham; Hugh Weightman); the British Minister and Legation at Jedda (Sir Reader Bullard; Andrew Spencer Calvert); the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir John Simon; Sir Samuel Hoare); and officials at the India Office and the Foreign Office. The main topic of discussion is the progress being made by the Standard Oil Company of California in developing their oil concession in Hasa, it includes reports of drilling at sites at Dammam and Al Khubar, and their success in striking oil at those locations.

Also discussed are the financial arrangements which Standard Oil are believed to have reached with the Saudi Arab Government in regard to the concession; attempts made by representatives of the British Government to ascertain the exact wording and actual geographic extent of the concession, in particular whether any reference had been made in it to the Kuwait-Najd Neutral Zone; and rumours that Standard Oil were interested in acquiring a further concession for another area of Saudi Arabia.

Further correspondence relates to a proposal by Standard Oil to build a pipeline to Bahrein [Bahrain], and their eventual decision to develop the port of Ras Tanurah [Ra's Tannurāh] instead. Included in the volume is discussion around the potential financial implications of the proposal and potential loss of trade to Bahrein; conversations with the Admiralty regarding the need for accurate charts of that area of coastline and arrangements with the Port Director at Basra for the laying and maintenance of buoys for the Ras Tanurah channel.

Also included is correspondence between Sir Reader Bullard, HM Minister at Jedda and Charles Wills of Gray, Mackenzie and Company, regarding Standard Oil's desire to have Gray, Mackenzie handle all of their shipping and freight needs at Ras Tanurah and the Saudi Government's refusal to allow British companies to operate on the mainland, and requesting the Government's assistance in negotiating the matter. Also discussed are concerns by the British Government that Standard Oil could use the Hasa concession as an opportunity to commence operations quietly in the disputed area between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and discussions with the Shaikh of Qatar (Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī) to ensure any signs of activity in that region and reported and acted upon promptly.

A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 207-215.