IOR/L/PS/12/3854

The file concerns negotiations between the Government of Bahrain and two oil companies: Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL) and the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) over oil concession rights in the Bahrain Unallotted Area, i.e. those parts of Bahrain territory (including the Hawar Islands), and offshore areas, not forming part of the concession awarded to BAPCO in 1925. The papers show that the Ruler of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Alkhalifah [Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah], initially wished to divide the Unallotted Area between the two companies, but later wished to award the Unallotted Area in its entirety to BAPCO, subject to the approval of the British Government.

The file contains correspondence from representatives of both companies, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; the Political Agent, Bahrain; British Government departments; Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain; and the Ruler of Bahrain.

The papers include: draft PCL agreements; comments on the progress of negotiations by the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and the Political Agent, Bahrain; the views of the Foreign Office, Petroleum Department, and the Admiralty; a description by the Political Agent, Bahrain (Hugh Weightman) of the areas to be offered to the two companies, based largely on an aerial survey (folios 536-540); the territorial status of the Hawar Islands; the financial implications of the two potential concessions; minutes of a meeting between British Government officials at the India Office, 7 July 1938 (folios 346-352); the issue of underwater boring for oil, and territorial waters; the role in the negotiations of the PCL representative, Major Frank Holmes; minutes of meetings between the Government of Bahrain and the representative of PCL; minutes of meetings between the Government of Bahrain and the representative of BAPCO; a comparative statement of the offers made by the two companies (folio 94); and a further bid by Holmes and PCL in 1939 for rights over the 'Shoal Area', Bahrain.

The Arabic content of the file consists of a letter from the Ruler of Bahrain, with English translation, and the bilingual texts of draft concession agreements between PCL and the Ruler of Bahrain.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.