BROCHURE ON PORT OF BASRAH, IRAQ - A BRIEF OUTLINE OF PORT & SERVICES 1951-52

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A005900440001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 11, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 9, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Description & General Informations
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25X1
I I
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Iraq
SUBJECT Brochure on Port of Ba$rahR Iraq - A Brief
Outline of Fort & Services 1951-52
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DATE DISTR.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THEMEANING OF TITLE 18. SECTIONS 703
AND 704. OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIN REPORT IS PROHIBITED,
THIS Is UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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NO. OF PAGES1
NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPP. TO
REPORT NO.
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Staff
Labor
Cargo and Shipp?ne Statieti'as (1949 .51)
Port Sorvicoc & Fe.o ,1 .ties
Medical
Co Ainice tions
A ,rl; "ield
Ut it 5
Po1a,oo & Faro Sorvice
'toad Transport, 11oadn and n , lwnys
3. Maps
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De,m ah w- Page and 3iarrounding District, Scales 4 mi a 1 in
Port of Basrs,ka - Margil Wlaarvos and Port Zstste, Scale I in a 1100 ft
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DISTRIBUTION 4 STAT! ARMY NAVY AIR j )Q FBI r- I
This report is for the use within the VINA of the Intelligence components of the Departments or
Agencies indicated above, It is not to be transmitted overseas without the concurrence . of the
originating office through the Assistant Director of the Office of Collection and Dissemination, CIA,
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Population
Imports & Exports
District (Brief description of Basrah Fort and Um-Qasr)
Accommodations - General t Accommodations - Asher and Margil
Pilotage & Berthing
Bunkers
Charges
Holidays
Consuls and Port '9fficiale
Other Informationi
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of Poi 5L.-~ICFS.
1951-5 2
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PORT OF BSRAT.I.
D7SCRIPTION AND EI' RAL ICI CRr4ATI0ia~
Lat. 300 31' N: Long. 47? E. (Mar gil) .
Population of (Province of Basrah, extending from Fao to
Basrah Liwa : Qurna) : 3859000. Estimated
population of Basrah City, Ashar and
Margil : 125, 000.
Authority: Directorate General of Ports & Navigation
of the Government of 'Iraq.
Imports: Piece goods; provisions, liquor,
tobacco, sugar, tea, machinery,
hardware, glassware, crockery,
haberdashery, apparel, leather,
manufactures, cement, timber, etc.;
Exports: Dates, wheat, barley, liquorice, carpets,
whool, hides, horses, dried fruit,
gum, drugs, bitumen, crude petroleum
and products.
'District: Basrah is the ma:;.n Port of Iraq s tuated
on the right bank of Shatt-al-Arab
about 80 miles from'the sea and 35O
miles 'by rail) from Ba hdad, the
Capital, city of Iraq, to which it
is connected by metre-gauge railway
line of the Iraqi State Eailways.
The town of Basrahis divided into 3
main sections; Basrah city, the old
town, on Ashar Creek, 2 miles from
the Shatt-al-Arab; Ashar, the
principal mercantile section of
the tow,m, on the Shatt-al-Arab 2
miles from Basrah City; and Margil,
where are situated the wharves,
warehouses, main railway terminals
and airport, some 3 miles upstream
from Ashar all on the right ban's
of the Shatt-al-Arab. The centre
of new oil development of the Basrah
Petroleum Company is at Zubair, about
15 m~les inland from Ashar.
Um-Qasr:- Development of a secondary
Port was commenced during the Second
World War at Um-Qasr about 40 miles
south of Margil, on the I,'hor Abdulla,
a sea inlet south of the Shatt-al-Arab
entrance. One timber wharf was
constructed, also railway line '
comr.ainication with Basrah and main
line to Baghdad, but railway line
was later dismantled, and only a few
sttnips of piles now remain to mark
the wharf, and a few heaps of rubble
to mark the buildings which had been
constructed.
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2.
Accommodation The Authority of the Port of Easrah
General: extends from the outer bar of the
Shatt-al-Arab to 17 miles above the
town of Basrah, the total distance
being about 100 miles. The
Shatt-al-Arab during practically the
whole of its.course is a wide deep
fairway of which the dredged entrance
channel admits at H.W.S.T. vessels
drawing up to 32'.
Distances given in these paragraphs
are in sea-m:Lles measured from the
entrance of the outer bar dredged
channel,
At Fao '(17 miles, on the right bank)
I.D
is the dredging depot of th
e Dar
Dredging Scheme, containing the
offices of the Dredging Superintendent,
Control Office, Wireless Station,
Jetty for the berthing of Dred':ers
etc., Workshops for the ma ntenance of
Dredging Fleet, Workshops and the Plant
of the Light-House Engineer, Power
Station, and general services for the
depot, housing for the officials and,
senior employees and their families.
Fao is connected by road with Basrah
and Margil. (A fifty m_'le all-weather
strip on raised embankment constructed
by the Port Directorate completed this
link in 1949).
About a mile upstream from the Fao depot
(at 18 miles on the right bank) is
situated the new Oil Port of the Basrah
Petroleum Company now under construction,
connected by Pipeline with the Zubair
Oil Field. Principal accommodation(i9sz)
t1 consistsof 2 oil jetties for
tankers drawing up to 32t, together
with Tank Farm, Offices, Living
accommodation and necessary services.
At 30 miles on the left (Iranian) bank
at Khazal' Bad are situated the Pabda
Jetties of the Anglo-Iranian Oil
Company, connected by Pipeline with
Abadan Refinery.
At 41 to 45 miles on the left (Iranian)
bank-,is Abadan? the well known Persian
Refinery and Oil Port.
Opposite Bawarda (the Southern Section
of Abadan) is situated on the right
bank, at Harmaq, a Port Depot for
the accommodation of Pilots Harbour
Masters etc. with Wireless S~ation,
Power Mouse and other services, still
in proQess of further development.
As at Fao Depot there is all weather
Road Communication with Basrah and
Margil,
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At iles is the Karuii. Bar, about a
mile down-stream from the junction
of the Hafar Channel., the main out-fall
of the Z'artzn river. In flood seasons
heavy deposits of sand. are brought
down by the Karun river and come first
to rest at the y'arun Bar, sometimes
with very serious effect on shipping
movements. General minimum depth,
maintained with necessary dredging,
over the bar is 21' at L.W.S. which
limits draught of ship4.ing proceeding
further up the river to about 27',
Another mi.le upstream from the Hafar
channel junction on the left bank is
the Iranian Port of Khorumshahr.
At 74 miles on the right bank is Ashar,
the main business section of Basrah,
containing the offices of the Mutasarrif
(the governor of the Province of Liwa
of Tasrah) the Consulates, Ban?.cs, and
Offices of the major Shipping and
Trading firms, private slipways and
repair depots, etc.
At Ashar there are five sets of MocrinL,;
Buoys,for cargo handling in the stream.
At 77 miles, also on the right bank, is
the commencement of Margil wharves
and the main Port of Basrah with
the Head Offices and Installations of
the Directorate General of Ports &
Navigation.
Just above Margil is an' ex-Military
bridge which li::iits shipp-in;? to, a
draught of 12 to ltt- feet, but shallows
above Qurna, about 40 miles further
up, limit draught to 4 ft. to 6 ft.
according to season of the year,
the spring and early summer flood
season being the best for up river
navigation.
Pilotage & Pilotage is generally compulsory. A
Berthing: steam pilot vessel stationed outside
the bar supplies local pilots to
incoming vessels. The Pilot Service
is efficient, Pilots being well
trained and reliable.. The bar is
well buoyed and is ,lighted for night
navigation. Signals from the
Control Station at Fao give height
of tide day and night.
At Kabda, Abadan, Basrah, etc., Pilots ?
Are relieved by highly qualified and
specially recruited Harbour rasters
who berth vessels alongside the
Wharves, at Buoys, etc.
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Accommodation Margil 1-Tharves are constructed of timber,,
at Ashar and ma_n?.y. teak, and have a frontage of
Margil: (approximately) 400 ft. with a depth
of 27' alongside at normal "tide and are
served by Railway Lines of~the Iraqi
State Railways. They accommodate 8
large vessels at a time and 2 or. 3
small type. In addition there are
lighterage berths about 1000' long,
and barge berths for tho handling of
grain. At Ashar is a timber jetty of
300 fit. frontage for barges and local
craft.
There are 5 sets of mooring buoys .for the
largest vessels in the stream at Ashar'
for cargo transfer to and from barges
and local sailing: craft etc.
Vessels of any length can lie with safety
in the strear or alongside the wharves..
Main Wharves at Margil are servec:by 22
electric travelling portal cranes of
2 tons to 8 tons c~a~~aap t a d another
3 new 6 ton cranes" - ""2 rece4'1
installed. The lighterage berth is
served by five electric cranes of 30 cwt.
capacity. All Wharves are served by
Railway Lines and rolling stock of
metre gauge of the Iraqi state Railways,
operated by them and directly connected
with extensive marshalling yards and
with the main line services allowing
quick access for goods to all parts of
Iraq and the north.
Good Transit Shed and Warehouse accommodation
of over 400,000 sq.ft. area at argil
and about 4C;000 sq.ft. at Ashar is
capable of storing about 50,000 tons of
cargo, while open storage will accom-.-iodate
about 75,000 tons.
2 Floating cranes are available, one
capable of liftin;:- 25 tons at 60 ft.
radius the other a sheer-legs with
lifting capacity of about 60 tons.
Ships cargo handling, gear is available
for loadin:; and off-loading any kind
of cargo.
There are Workshops available where small
repairs can be underta.:en. Port's own
Workshops at Margil and Fao are mainly
for the maintenance of DreC gers' and
other Port Craft,
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These are 3 slipways at Messrs.Grey
I Pcl. onzie's in Ashar, the largest of
which will handle 600 to 700 tons
deadweight. There are no proper
Graving Docks in the area, (but for
repairs of craft at Abadan, A.I.O.C.
have 2 Floating Docks the smaller
' ith a capacity of 756 tons, and the
larger a lifting capacity of 5,000
tons, an overall length of 396',
and a docking width at entrance of 60')
Also at Margil are three R.A.F. jetties
as follows: one of 250' frontage with
depth of 20' alon;side at T .'J. :'a. T. ;
one Crane Jetty with dolphins, depth
alon-l-side 25' at L.1-l.S.T., capacity
of crane (electric) 60 tons; one
jetty of 300' frontage for accommodation
of sloops etc. depth alongside at
L.W.S.T. 15' to 20'.
Craft: The Port owns 2 sea-going tugs, 2 other
smaller tugs capable of manoeuvring
ocean-going-vessels, some salvage
plant and a diving unit; also 3
more river tugs, four survey vessels,
buoya`;e vessel with 15 ton crane
Pilot vessel, light tender, creek
dredger, 30 motor launches, and
barges and pontoons; and for the Ear
Dredging Scheme 5 steam Hopper
Dredgers (Drag Suction type) one of.
1250 tons and 4 of 2000 tons hopper
capacity of which one can be rigged
for cutter section work.
Bunkers: (Normally vessels bunker at Abadan or 'F-4 C
I.abda) At '."'? srah the Xh86&q;in Oil @ c
Company have a do>pot at T'iuftieh, 0-H
between Ashar ? and ,argil., with
jetties for small craft only. Fuel 4-3 ,~
Oil Storage capacity at Muftieh is il U1 about 400, ooc gallons and normal o F: CH
stocks of Diesel Oil amotir.t to o
500,000 gallons, while smaller local
stocks are maintained of Petrol,
Paraffin and Lubricating C!ls.
Mater is available at Marg;il Wharves
res can be obtained.
Port Dues 21952): Fao, 10 fils,
Charges: Abadan, 14 fils, Khorarishahr,. 18 fils,
Basrah, 21 fils, per gross ton, (plus
75% surcharge) : Persian Gulf Light
Service dues, 9 fils per T.R.T. ion
every entry coverin, inward and
outward trips. Pilotage is compulsory.
Schedule of dues and charges on goods
and for special services can be had on
application. 1000 fils equals ID.I/-
(One Iraqi Dinar) equals #1 Sterling.
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q ? ~
Holidays, 12 day's a year. dates vmr; nri m,_.._,._s _
Consuls: British Consul-General
River Front
,
,
Ashar, (Tel.02.405); French Consul-
General; Iranian Consul-General.
U.S. Consul; Saudi Arabian ConsuJ.;
Pakistan Consul; IndiazConsul
Norwegian Vice-Consul; Netherlands
Vice-Consul; etc.
Lloyd's Agent: Lloyd's ASent /o ?
c
but wnr?cnn~ T^aruea as the week-end,
of considerable extremes,
In the hot weather season froM April
to October, day time temperatures
are 1100-1170F. in the .shade . In
the less extreme cold season, from
November to Mr.:.Ich, night temperatures
below freezing point are occasionally
registered, lowest recorded being 24?F
Prevailing winds are North-West and South-
Rainfall ax~oieru- t s to about 61, c East .
Rain is experienced only between November
and early Iiay.
.
iessrs .Gray, _ riackenzie
Co.Ltd,1
rUl' 4 w I1clajs: Director-General of Ports & Navigation:
(Chief Engineer & Acting Director General)
Mr.R?C.K<, M.B.E., B.Sc., M,I.C.E.
Assistant Director: (Administration)
$d-Abdul Amir Ralunatallah, B.Com.
Chief Electrical & Mechanical Engineer:
A1r .J.M-Morris ,M.D.E.,A.MI .Mech. ,A.11?I.E.E.
Chief Marine Engineer:
Mr.S?W.H.Gray, A.M.I.Mar.E,
Port Officer:
Capt. W.M,Shposmith.
Deputy Port Officer:
Capt. C.E,Thompson.
Dredging Superintendent & Chief I ,-drographical
Surveyor:
Mr.J.H?Hall, M.B,E,
Traffic Manager (Acting)
Sd ,J .R .Stephen .
Chief Medical 0=ficer:
Dr.R.D.MacLea.X,M.R.C.S?,L.R.C P?,D.T.M.& H.
Director of Medical Services:
Dr .Mohd Ali Fattah, Ph.D. (Baghdad) .
Financial Secretary,
Mr.C.F.Lynn, M.A. ,A ?S .A.A? ,A.C.A.
Chief Airport Controller (Acting).
Sd.J.Malcolrn.
Labour Officer:
Sd.R aj ab Al-Na t ama .
Welfare & FO.ucation Officer:
Sd.Tewfick El-Nakib.
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Airport: Basra, (Margil) Airport: ?fain 3-7 Rug way,
2000 yarc-!s long; accornodatos all
principal lon3 (istance services e.g.
Constellations (u) to about 100,000
lbs.), Argonauts, S'."Traasters etc.
With efficient day and night service;
large Hangar; up-to-date Fucllinl;
facilities; etc. etc.
Number of Aircraft handled:
1947-48 -
33412
1948-49 -
1+192
1949-50 -
4046
1950-51 -
3142
Hotel and terminal building now being
extended to provide a total of about
100 bedrooms, well-equipped and
air-conditioned, large restaurants
etc., one wing; is for accommodation
of Air Companies, Customs et. etc.,
and Transit Passengers lounr,c.
Public Main Power Station and 'rater Puri:_ ica tion
Utilities: Plants now in process of considerable
extension. Power generation capacity
will soon be over 6000 KW, Water
purification maximum output (7,951)
4,500,000 gallons per day. All the
Basrah Liwa poT.rer and water plants
and distribution are now in process
of amalgamation.under the administration
of the Port Directorate.
Port Police Seconded from Civil Police Force for
Force: Port service.
Fire Service: There is an efficient Fire Department
for Port, Airport, and L;encra 1
service.
Housing etc.: Port & J.D.S. Staff Family Accommodation
in Port "stake: Housing, Nar;il.:
Senior 0-icers' Quarters 50; other
Staff':" and Artizan Quarters 176;
Labour and Artizan Quarters are
planned. Harmaq: Senior Officers'
Quarters 8, other Quarters 20,
Pilots' Quarters planned. Fao:
Senior Officers' Quarters 20;
other Quarters 90. Also Rest
Houses, Messes, Clubs, etc'.
Education: At Margil and Fao the Port has built
and maintained school bu.i1ding-~
also a technical school, all
operated and staffed by the
Ministry of Education.
Road Fleet of 80 to 100 vehicles, various;
Transport: also fleet of road construction
plant.
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LQ9RT - R I!_F0R11kT1:O11 Budget Port (1('51-52) : Revenue ID.1, 523, 700
Estimates: I E,:pendtturc ID.1, 521,700
Capita].'.Jorl.mID. 650,900
Bar Dredging Revenue ID. 950000
Scheme Expenditure ID. 791,800
1x51-~2) Capita l"orls ID.1, 099, 500
Staff: Port (1951) - 1118 (77 Officers; 1041 subordin.i~n?iz
B.D..S. - 634 (67 567 fl )
Labour: Daily average on Wharves (1950) 986
(1951) - 84LL
Port & B.D.S. Services (excluding Wharves)
and Utilities (1951) - 43_50.
Cargo (1949-50): Transit Area 1,290 114 tons:
Handled: Total 2,002,789 tons. Itnports : 469,1519
E,e:ports: 1,137,986 (Grain 484,283 tons;
Dates: 135,895 tons),
Shipping: Shipping entering and leaving Port t',-.rough
dredged channels : 1950/1 - Inward 2501;
Outward 2500. (About 100 Oil Tankers
loedcxl per at Abadan and I.abda;
Oil carried, about 20,000,000 tons per
annin; about 30 cargo vessels for
Basrah per month). Local craft and
sailing vessels numbering up to 3000
also enter the Port annually.
(11'50-51: Sea-going-vessels; 1290;
Ba.,.hda.d River Craft: 1692).
Dredged Quantity of spoil hoppered annually
Channels: about 4,000,000 cubic yards. Lcn-:th
of dredged channels about 25 miles.
Medical: The Port Health Department has a small
Hospital at Fao with accommodation
of 31,- beds for normal. local cases
a1-1d. :I..ar;e out-patients department.
The Port and Railways combined
Hospital at E argil has very few beds
and deals mainly with out-patients
and firsi,-aid cases. All serious
cases are sent to the Maude Memorial
Hosiital a large Iraqi Government
Hospital and Isolation Hospital at
lnasrah. There is also quarantine
accommodation in the Port area.
OTHER PORT SERVICES.
Wireless Marine Communication with shipping on
Communication 600, 606 and 750 metres (Persian
Services: Gulf, Sha t t-al-:grab) ; Inter-
departmental crvice, H.Q., Harmaq,
Fao, 14 Port Vessels on 111 metros;
Air-communication, long distance
point to point to 1arachi. (East)
and Cairo (';rest); short range
point to point to Bahrein, Irvwait,
Abadan, Teheran, Ba':hdad, ::abhai,iyah,
Aoradio rea con "'EA" , 310 kilo-cycles.
Wireless training school run in
connection.
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Roads: In Port Area, Margil., 12 miles.
Road extension to Fao of over 50
miles (all weather road on raised
embankmcnt) .
Railway In Margil Marshalling Area 21 rifles;
Sidings:' and in Port Trari54 t arca about 10
miles, (..1l kE,:L.lway Ines and
~
faci ! ie,~ a r:, prn`r; dcd
an and
operated ',,y TI: aqi State Railways).
Port Estate: Area: Ya L:._?., .. ^.610 acres; Jubailah,
13~ act ::: _Iarrnaq; 14 acres ? Fao
Depot, 18'acres; Fao New Village,
14 acres ; New lands at Pao,
120 acres; Pao Oil Port Lands,
284 acres.
Navigation The Port Authorities, on behalf of the
(Inland Government, operate a separate
Waters): Department dealing with all inland
of 10 tons and upwards, the licensing
and survey of all inland water craft
water navigational matters-
controlled by the Director General
of (Ports and) Navigation.. The
Services cover the registration
01 crews, and navigational matters
Persian Gulf The Port Authorities have in._tha._?past on
Lighting Service: behalf of the poa;.'d of the Prsian
construction of lights and beecoi~s but ,. ,
Beacons, Buoys, etc. They-- a_r9__(-;orzpleting
shortly a considerable prograra::c of new
of the principal Persian Gulf Lighthouses,
were previously .n Bombay but are now .- _---
Londan) carried out practically all work
of construction operation and maintenance
Gulf Light. ng Service (1,faose .Headquarter
are now scfedlled to hard over their
responsibilities by about the end of 1952 to
a new permanent organization employed
directly by the P.G.L.S. Board and
stationed in Bahrain.
BASRA , 1951, 19s2 ,
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