In the Middle East which ranks first both in the reserves and pro-duction of crude oil, Abu Dhabi, one of the the Indian states, along with the Trucial Coast of the Persian Gulf, has recently been come to our expectation as the production of low sulfur- and light- crudes. Although Abu Dhabi is a broiling and barren land, it possesses Murban, Um Shaif and Zakum oil fields and it is regarded as a second Kuwait in the near future.
Our country embarked on the development of the marine areas of Abu Dhabi in December, 1967, and our Company has aquired the oil concession and set about the seismic prospecting since May, 1968. Mitsubishi Mining Co. and others has also aquired the concession of land. Thus, Abu Dhabi has been spotlighted as the future sources of oil supply to Japan.