Appendix 70: Henderson to Lermitte 14/6/’51

14th June, 1951

Dear Mr. Lermitte,

While in Abu Dhabi over the matter of the Sadr strike I handed over the report on drilling. The main reaction was an outburst of a type similar I believe to that which you experienced at Tarif. The main points are:

• a. The company is working slowly and does not intend to get oil.

• b. The company must give up the concession

• c. The company must at least give up that part of the concession where it does not believe is oil.

Other points were:

• a. Beginning work in Jebel Ali before we drill again in Abu Dhabi is criminal.

• b. Sadr is stripped to supply Jabal Ali.

• When I explained that everything necessary to drilling in Sadr was still there, and would remain there until the next well in Abu Dhabi was begun, he stated as an example that 20 fans had been removed.

• c. That other companies were bound by their concessions to dig an artesian well wherever they did seismic work.

• d. That we were occupying land at Sadr without benefit to Abu Dhabi…

• e. That the concession as a whole was cheat.

• f. That we did not give him detailed geological information and maps. The drilling report had not impressed him.

I made the obvious replies to some of the remarks…

No doubt you have heard some or all of these observations. I thought however, for record purposes at least, they should be noted.