IOR/R/15/1/672

The volume contains correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle); the Political Agent at Bahrain (Percy Gordon Loch), the India Office (John Charles Walton); the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (L Lefroy, Edward Henry Ommaney Elkington, Hajji ‘Abdullah Williamson) and Petroleum Concessions Limited (John Skliros) on the subject of possible concessions with the Trucial Coast Shaikhs and the formation of a new company, Petroleum Concessions Limited to undertake negotiations for these concessions.

Matters discussed include:

• correspondence from Hajji ‘Abdullah Williamson, negotiator for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) discussing what he had learned of the extent and boundaries of Abu Dhabi territory; his negotiations with the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi and his eventual success in securing a two year option, including a copy of the agreement signed between Shaikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (Shaikh Shakhbūt bin Sulṭān bin Zāyid Āl Nahyān), Ruler of Abu Dhabi and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Also included in the correspondence is information on the different tribes and tribal groups within Abu Dhabi; the availability of water, livestock and food supplies; and transport options within the country;
• the decision by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company to form a new subsidiary company, Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL) to take on the options obtained from Trucial Coast Shaikhs and exploit potential concessions should oil be found. The correspondence is primarily between Sir John Skliros, Chairman of Petroleum Concessions Limited, Langlois Massy Lefroy and Edward Henry Ommaney Elkington of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and representatives of the India Office discussing the establishment of PCL and their interest in negotiating an extension of their options to five years and including draft concessions in those extensions. Enclosed within the volume are PCL’s proposed draft concession agreements for Ras-al-Khaimah [Ra's al Khaymah], Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Kuwait Neutral Zone and Bahrain; the two year option agreement signed with Shaikh Rashid bin Homaid [Rāshid Bin Ḥumaid Al-Nu`aimī], Ruler of Ajman ; and interest in an option in Umm-ul-Quwain [Umm al Qaywayn];
• correspondence from Saiyid Said bin Taimur [Sayyid Sa‘īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa‘īd], Sultan of Muscat expressing a desire to have a mineralogical survey undertaken within his territories, as although the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (now the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company) had surveyed the area in the past he wished to have a second opinion to settle the question of whether or not there might be oil;
• attempts by Major Frank Holmes to form a British Company to pursue possible Oil Concessions on the Trucial Coast, which failed, and his subsequent appointment by Petroleum Concessions Limited to act as their negotiator in the Persian Gulf;
• the question of whether an option for Kalba [Kalbā] would be of interest and discussing its complicated political status involving the Shaikh’s of Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah;
• discussion over the wording of the option agreement between the Shaikh of Ras-al-Khaimah and AIOC and whether it covers the island of Tamb (also given as Tanb) [Greater Tumb].

Correspondence with the various Trucial Coast Shaikhs is in Arabic, with translations in English, and the letter-head for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company is in Persian and English.

A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 200-204.