Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields


Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields Limited was an oil company registered in London, England on 6 July 1911 with a capital of £676,000 with oilfields in Egypt. It was a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell.
Egypt was the first oil producing country in the Middle East, even before Iran, but production was quite insignificant compared to the region's major oil producing countries.
The company headquarter was moved from London to Cairo in 1951 and taxes where henceforth paid to the Egyptian government, except those on dividends paid to UK residents. The company board for the first time met on July 10 in the newly build 10-story Shell House headquarters in which the Shell Company of Egypt Ltd and Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. Ltd were co-tenants.
The capital structure of the company did not change between 1920 and 1954. In 1920 it was £1,350,000 and as a typical part of the combine owned 60% by Royal Dutch and 40% by Shell. On May 31, 1956 the capital was increased to £5,665,500 and one bonus share issued for each two shares. The company properties were sequestered by order of Egyptian authorities on November 2, 1956 and de-sequestered on April 21, 1959 and this was finalized on July 11, 1959 with control passing back to the former owners. In July 1961 the government of the United Arab Republic acquired a 55% shareholding in the company. It was renamed as the Al Nasr Oilfields Company on 4 January 1962, and was converted into a United Arab Republic Company. It seems to have been nationalised in 1964, and news reports cite Gamal Abdel Nasser's seizing in 1964 while Skinner's Oil and petroleum year book suggests 1951 control.

Oil fields

exclusive

The Gemsah field was discovered in 1908 and yielded light oil of 41° API gravity, but the total amount was only 1,442,098 barrels over its lifetime.
The Hurghada field was discovered in 1913, production peaked in 1931. Produced 302,200bbl in 1951 from 23 pumping wells and there were 5 shut-in wells. The oil was relatively heavy
The Ras Gharib field was discovered in 1938. In 1951 8,036,900bbl were produced from 14 flowing, 70 pumping, 17 gas-lift and 26 shut-in wells.

jointly with Socony-Vacuum

The Sudr field in 1951 produced 3,726,400bbl of 19°-23° API gravity from 8 flowing, 1 pumping and 6 shut-in wells. Connected to Sudr anchorage by a 6-inch and a 10-inch pipe line.
The Asl field was discovered in 1948. Linked to Sudr terminal by 6-inch and 10-inch pipeline. 22° API oil.
The Ras Matarma field was discovered in 1948.
On the Nebwi Lease seven dry holes were drilled and #7 abandoned at a depth of 5,292 ft on Nov 11, 1950, presumably the last hole drilled on the lease.

Other facilities

The Suez refinery 1.5 miles southwest of the Suez town center was co-located with the government refinery located 3 miles southwest of the center. A twin 12-inch products pipeline from the Shell jetties at Suez led to a tank farm and pumping station near Agrud and from there 75 miles of 6-inch pipe to the Ghamra terminal east of Cairo. There was also the Nifisha terminal connected to Agrud.

Well statistics

Through 1928 there were drilled 93,000ft in total exploration wells, From 1929 until 1936 exploratory drilling virtually ceased. Revisions in mining regulations in 1937 stimulated efforts by AEO, Socony-Vacuum, Standard Oil of New Jersey and CalTex. During World War II, 116 wells totaling 272,053 feet were completed at Ras Gharib, but exploratory drilling was suspended with no new wells spudded after Gharib West No. 4 on November 5, 1940 until Ayun Musa No. 1 on December 23, 1944. With the exception of the force majeure due to the war there was a period of intensified exploration activity in Egypt from 1937 through to 1948.
Maps of wildcats: 1949

Production statistics

YearGemsahHurghada
19111,2200
191227,4540
191312,5860
191491,00910,964

HurghadaGharib
19371,141,356-
19381,019,520512,988

YearGemsahHurghadaDurbaGharibSudrAslMatarma
191012------
19119------
1912213------
191398-----
191468279-----
1915113119-----
191683312-----
191752883-----
1918381,887----
1919321,517-----
192021994-----
1921341,231-----
1922231,1585----
192351,0432----
192451,1113----
192591,2157----
192651,1747----
192711,2558----
19281,8596----
19291,8984----
19301,9803----
19312,0056----
19321,8701----
19331,6441----
19341,5231----
19351,2503----
19361,266-----
19371,1786----
19381,0532525---
193989413,775---
194075145,769---
194166237,841---
1942357717,542---
194348618,447---
194448618,932---
194543728.932---
194623758,527---
19473519,300118--
19483419,3233,494--
19493178,4025,4481,671-
1950222657,9454,2503,844-
19513018,0263,7274,245-
19522748,3662,3415,456-
19532688,4922,1275,615-
19542618,8102,1532,404105
19552508,3922,1891,147127
195622607,1551,809983113
1957132117,6922,0351,089100
19582227,0301.2281,04078
19592266,4411,1031,04698

The Egyptian Oil Industry

Government

The Abu Durba field was operated by the government.

South Mediterranean Oil Co

The South Mediterranean Oil Co, Ltd. was a joint-venture of
Standard Oil of California and Texaco. The company began prospecting in Egypt in 1938. It had ca. 240 exploratory permits covering 5 million acres and was conducting field geology and geophysical exploration. Had one large rig and several smaller units. Drilled Khatatba No. 1 to 7,000 ft 25 miles northwest of Cairo and found nothing and shortly thereafter in May 1945 announced its withdrawal from Egypt. The assets were bought by AEO, Socony-Vacuum and Standard Oil Co of Egypt in the fall of 1945.