74 PASCOE: GEOLOGICAL NOTES ON MESOPOTAMIA. 



ECONOMIC QUESTIONS. 



Petroleum. 



In the area under consideration, and probably throughout 

 Mesopotamia, the mineral of unique and outstanding importance is 

 petroleum. It is perhaps unnecessary to point out that its occur- 

 rence, on account of the extreme mobility of the mineral, is a subject 

 of considerable complexity and of many limitations. Bearing in 

 mind, therefore, the uncertainty of prognostication on such a 

 subject, my opinion, based on evidence collected oyer a fairly 

 extended tour, is that the country will probably take a not unim- 

 portant place among the world's sources of petroleum. It should 

 rival the Persian fields, and collectively outclass those of Burma. 

 Below is a list of oil localities surveyed, which I have attempted to 

 classify in the order of their promise. That is to say, leaving out 

 tho question of the size of the field, 1 these localities are arranged 

 more or less in order according to the degree of certainty or prob- 

 ability that oil is obtainable in remunerative quantity. 



A. — Areas of First Class importance. 



1. Qaiyarah. — Probably a large field extending with interrup- 



tions to Qishlah and perhaps beyond. (Report 4.) 



2. Quivair. — A small but well-defined field. (Rep. 8.) 



B. — Areas less certain but of decided promise. 



1. Jabal Ilamrin and Makhul near the Tigris. — If petroliferous, 

 probably a large field. (Rep. 2.) 



G. — Areas of uncertain prospects but sufficiently promising to warrant 



a test boring. 



1. Jabal MishraJc. — (Rep. 5.) 



2. Hawi Arslan. — A very small area. (Rep. 6.) 



3. Kirhuh. — Scarcely promising enough, to warrant deep-boring 



for which I should class it in E. between 3 and 4. For 

 shallow bores a small unimportant field is possible. 

 (Rep. 9.) 



1 This proviso explains anomalies suck as the priority of a poor area like Kirkuk over 

 areas like Kharrar or Ham mam Ali, either of which may prove to bo of much greater 

 importance. 



