The rights of oil companies, IPC and AIOC in concession areas in regions of frontier disputes

This file contains correspondence relating to:

• Record of a meeting with Mr Stockwell of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), Mr Page of Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC) and Mr Kay of the Ministry of Fuel and Power. It includes: a brief account of the Buraimi dispute; King Saud’s proposal for negotiations; discussions on what the oil companies could surrender on their claims; and a map showing the plotted points respecting the disputed areas (23)
• Account of a conversation with Ewan Wilson of the US Embassy and Mr Parks of the US State Department regarding the Arabian American Oil Company's (ARAMCO) and IPC's oil operations (24)
• Memorandum from ARAMCO on their position regarding the Saudi Arabian boundary dispute received from the US State Department, who confirmed that they accept no responsibility for its contents. It also includes ARAMCO's letter of 3 April to AIOC and IPC (25)
• Proposals for the replies to be sent from AIOC and IPC to ARAMCO (26)
• Exchange of letters between Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Limited and ARAMCO on each oil company's rights in the disputed areas (27)
• Preparation of a reply to ARAMCO's memorandum to the US State Department on their position in relation to the disputed areas (28-30)
• Conversation with Managing Director of IPC Mr Gibson, regarding the position east of the Sufuk wells where IPC wish to drill. It includes three maps (31)
• Regulation of oil operations in the disputed areas. It is suggested that IPC and AIOC should be directed to paragraph 5 of the exchange of notes which regulate oil operations in the disputed areas during the period of arbitration (32)
• Confirmation that IPC are to begin drilling near Zeygat (33)
• Complaint from Yusef Yasin, the Saudi Arabian Deputy Foreign Minister, about the alleged trespassing of three oil companies or subsidiaries, two operating from Muscat territory and a third, north of Khor Al Odaid [Khawr Al Udayd]. It includes an aide memoire (34, 38)
• Message passed urgently to the Sultan of Muscat and Oman Saeed Bin Taimur at Salalah that it has come to HMG's notice that Cities Services have carried out the preliminary arrangements for drilling an oil well at a place between 100 and 125 miles north of Salalah, which is considered to be within the Saudi boundary (35)
• Report received from Petroleum Concessions Limited at Ibri, that the Saudis are planning a move on Mugshin and discussions about how Britain should respond to this (36-37)