16/7/03 COLONIAL OFFICE, CHURCH HOUSE, LONDON, 8,w. 1. Q February, 1956. Will you please refer to our correspondence about the demarcation of the boundary between the Eastern Aden Protectorate and Muscat, resting with your letter to me of 12th May, 1955 (with Robertson's of 13th May, 1955) which enclosed approximate estimates of the cost of a Boundary Commission? 2. Since then we took an opportunity of discussing this question with you on 7th September, 1955, when you were in London. You then expressed the opinion that the answer depended mainly on whether or not the oil companies on either side of the boundary contemplate operations close to where the boundary line runs, and you suggested that we should consult Petroleum Concessions Limited about this and should ask the Foreign Office to find out whether cities Services intend to operate close to the line from the Muscat side. We consulted Petroleum Concessions accordingly, and I enclose a copy of the reply we then received from them. The Foreign Office are still making enquiries about the intentions of Cities Services. 3. At our meeting on 7th September, you mentioned that you had met P.C.L. people and had broached the matter of the frontier with one of them, who had suggested that the demarcation should not be a very expensive operation 11 it were carried out by means of an aerial survey instead of by survey parties on the ground, You told us that you thought that the Sultan of Muscat would probably agree to this method, which should reduce the cost very considerably, and you said that, if the suggestion were found to be possible, you thought that the question of demarcating this boundary should be taken up in any case. 4. We have consulted Hotine, regarding an aerial survey of this boundary. He has pointed out that a boundary cannot be demaecated by an aerial survey alone. An air survey by itself will do no more than produce a map from those features which are visible from the air in a broad area. It will be merely a sketch map if no ground survey control is provided, but it can be turned into an accurate map by less survey work on the ground. than would be required for a complete boundary demarcation. I enclose an extract from observations made by Hotine on this subject. 5. Subject to your views, we agree with Hotine's suggestion that the opportunity should be taken of asking the Royal Air Force in Aden to extend their photography of the Aden Protectorate up to and, if possible, some way over the Protectorate-fuscat frontier. This would, we think, be a useful preliminary step in any event, whatever the intentions/ SIR TOM HICKINBOTHAM, K.C.M.G., K.c.v.0., C.I.E., 0.B.E., GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
