Tapline [Prev] [Main] [Next]

- 21 -

Fig. 27 Ras Misha'ab

Wolfe and Johnson are of the opinion that Ras Misha'ab should be carefully considered as an unloading point for a large portion of the pipe and that a further survey should be made to determine Its utility and the cost of trucking across the sand from Ras Tanura. There is an excellent chance that the pipewill have to be barged ashore even at Dammam or Ras Tanura.

There is another possible unloading point In the north country, and that is Ras Ez Zaur, This, however, is not in Saudi Arabia but in the Neutral Zone, and to use it, arrangements would presumably have to be made with the Sheikhof Kuwait. Captain I. B. Smith of Aramco says that this is less desirable than Misha'ab from a marine standpoint, but it might be useable without the long causeway required at Ras Misha'ab and deserves further investigation if political factors are not too objectionable. Wolfe and Johnson were not able to examine Ras Ez Zaur in the time available to them but recommend such an examination.

RECONNAISSANCE FROM ABQAIQ TO AQABA BY AIR

(Route B on Map No. 1) (Dashed line on Map No. 2)

Up until the 17th it had still proved Impossible to obtain a satisfactory reconnaissance plane from TWA. During this dearth of air transpirtation it had even been necessary for the Aramco management to proceed to Cairo by British Overseas Airways. Meanwhile W. R. Chandler had arrived In Cairo from the United States and on the 16th TWA finally arranged to secure a C-47 airplane of Ethiopian registry for his use. He arrived in Dhahran about midnight on the 16th.

Visibility from this plane was very poor as a result of scratched windows, but on the 17th the two rear windows were removed entirely, providing reasonable visibility, and the reconnaissance party left Dhahran at daybreak on the 18th flying the route shown by the heavy dashed line on Map No. 2, There are some sand dunes just east of Dhahran (Fig. 28). From there on to


[Prev] [Main] [Next]
----------------

al@mashriq

980329/bl