Request by Ruler of Kuwait for revision of basis of calculation of Kuwait Oil Company's revenue payments to him

This file contains correspondence relating to:

• Conversation between the Ruler of Kuwait Sheikh Abdulla Al Salem Al Sabah and Mr Southwell of the Kuwait Oil Company Limited (KOC) regarding talks about increases to oil prices between the Governments of Iraq and Saudi Arabia and their respective oil companies (1, 8)
• Hopes of the KOC to drill a well 15 miles from the not-yet-demarcated border of Kuwait and Iraq, allegations that the Basra Oil Company (BOC) are digging 11 miles from the frontier, and the potential effect of both on the prospect of reaching an agreement (2)
• Conversation with Mr Proctor of Gulf Oil Corporation regarding the price of oil, and the suggestion of an interdepartmental meeting to discuss attitudes (3-4)
• Request from Sheikh Abdulla that profits should be based upon posted prices (5)
• KOC's annual report to the Ruler 1953 (6)
• Aide memoire handed to H T Kemp, the Ruler's UK Representative, giving the Kuwait oil companies' views on oil revenues; and Kemp's refutation of the document on behalf of the Ruler and request for immediate discussion of increased rates (7, 11)
• Sheikh Abdulla's request for a revision of oil revenue paid to him. It includes: discussions between Gulf Oil, the US State Department, the British Embassy and the Foreign Office; the view of Political Resident in the Persian Gulf B A B Burrows; a meeting held at the Foreign Office on 6 August to hear the views of KOC, Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Limited (AIOC), and Gulf Oil; a Foreign Office paper for the consideration of the Middle East Oil Committee; a further meeting with the oil companies on 23 August including the question of the new oil settlement in Iran; the Middle East Oil Committee's decision that HMG should support KOC in not submitting to the Ruler's request; and an account of a conversation with Mr Moline of the US Embassy (9-10, 12-15, 17-18)