Concessions on oil found on sea bed, Kuwait

This file concerns Kuwaiti offshore oil concessions. It contains correspondence relating to:

• Formation of a consortium made up of Standard Oil of New Jersey (SONJ), Shell, BP and Gulf Oil to bid for Kuwaiti offshore concessions; and aspects of the negotiations, in particular to do with the currency to be used for payments and the possibility of including a currency exchange agreement (1, 3-6, 8-9, 11-12, 15-16, 18)
• Question of Iraq-Kuwait seabed boundaries and the defining of a safe area for Kuwait offshore operations (2, 7, 10, 19, 23)
• Further issues related to exchange control involving US employees working in Kuwait (17)
• Notes on a visit by L E J Brouwer and G O Higgins to Kuwait and Beirut, 23 to 26 September 1957 (20)
• Kuwait-Saudi Neutral Zone seabed and interest from Shell and a Japanese company in bidding for a concession. It includes a draft for the political agreement between HMG and the company eventually to be awarded the concession and correspondence from Aminoil regarding the recognition of their existing rights in the Neutral Zone (21-22, 25-26, 36, 38-41)
• Defining by Iran of a maximum area for awarding an offshore concession and the implications of this for Kuwait and the concept of a safe zone (24, 27-28, 30-31, 34, 42)
• Visit of Mr Southwell of the Kuwait Oil Company to Kuwait to discuss the Ruler of Kuwait's request for a reduction of selling discounts (32)
• Memorandum on the 50-50 concept for granting oil concessions (34)
• Negotiations between Southwell and the Ruler of Kuwait about a reduction in the two percent selling charges (37)