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Original large colour-printed map of Qatar (104 x 74 cm). Topography based on 1:100,000 scale series, 1980, compiled and drawn by Hunting Surveys Limited, for the Ministry of Public Works, Qatar. Compiled and cartography by Hunting Geology and Geophysics Limited. In very good condition. Showing the maturation of Qatar's Oil and Gas Industries This is an extremely rare 1980 large-format bilingual geological map of Qatar, produced by Hunting Geology and Geophysics for the Qatari government. Issued nearly a decade after independence, the map played an important role in the country's continued development of its oil and gas industries, the wealth from which was successfully leveraged to support wider social and economic development. The map covers the Qatari Peninsula, its nearby islands (including the Hawar Islands, belonging to Bahrain), and reclaimed coastal land, using colour-shading to indicate a variety of sands, gravels, clay, and stone, as explained in the bilingual legends present at right, which also indicate geological era. Roads, carriageways (highways), tracks, settlements, oil wells, pipelines, waterways (including wadis), and other features, including some maritime features (sand banks, reefs), are recorded, as explained in a legend at right. The level of detail is so extraordinary that even power lines and fences are noted. Additional information is also explained at right, such as the local grid employed and a reliability diagram based on the surveys that form the basis of the map's data. Qatar's Oil Industry Takes Off The early history of Qatar's oil industry began in the 1920s and 1930s, when the small, sparsely populated British protectorate first attracted the interest of international oil companies exploring the Persian Gulf. In 1932, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company obtained the first oil concession in Qatar through a subsidiary, the Iraq Petroleum Company. Initial exploration efforts included geological surveys and test drilling, reflecting British hopes that Qatar might yield oil reserves comparable to those already found in neighbouring Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The first promising discovery came in 1939 at the Dukhan field on Qatar's western coast. However, development was delayed by the outbreak of the Second World War, which diverted resources and prevented large-scale extraction. Oil production in Qatar truly began after the war. In 1947 - 1948, the Dukhan field was finally brought into production, with the first export shipment departing in December 1949. Revenues from oil began to replace traditional industries like pearling, fishing, and small-scale trade. Through the 1950s, the Qatar Petroleum Company (then an operating arm of the concession-holding consortium) expanded infrastructure at Dukhan and the growing port of Umm Said (Mesaieed), which became the centre of refining and export operations. The influx of oil revenue initiated an era of modernisation. Beginning in the 1950s, the ruling al-Thani family used oil income to fund public works, schools, healthcare, and roads, gradually transforming Qatar from a relatively poor Gulf sheikhdom into a state with rapidly improving infrastructure and services. This map was when Qatar's oil industry entered a period of rapid growth. The discovery and development of new offshore reserves were especially significant during this period, including the Bul Hanine field, located southeast of the Qatari peninsula. Discovered in 1970 and brought into production in 1972, Bul Hanine became a key contributor to Qatar's output during the 1970s, reflecting the country's shift toward offshore exploration that would later define much of its energy sector. Qatar also steadily increased its role in managing the sector, especially after independence. In the early 1970s, the government negotiated increased participation in concessionary operations, aligning with a broader regional trend across the Gulf and the wider Arab world. In 1974, Qatar achieved a majority state share i.
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