Chapter 128 – Gulf Oil Fields (1)

“Ah—there’s a ton under here too. Record the location.”

We’d come all the way to the Persian Gulf on that ridiculously fast yacht, when once again I felt that familiar sensation of “something” being found deep beneath the sea.
It must be an offshore oil field or a natural gas deposit. I can’t pinpoint it exactly, but the fact that it keeps going on and on is proof of a massive deposit.

Right now we’re sailing deep into the Persian Gulf, just before reaching our destination. Later when I checked, the name that came to mind was Khafji, and we were right above those waters.

Before that, off the peninsula of Qatar, I had already run into a huge reaction, but here near Khafji I kept being hit by the same sensation multiple times.

I was the only one who could really feel that the Persian Gulf was a treasure trove of oil and natural gas.

By the way, the voyage from Marseille took a full eight days, speeding along at 22 knots. We lost a day at the Suez Canal, but after that it was just the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea coast, nothing but sea and shoreline, a boring trip that finally brought us into the Persian Gulf.

Thanks to that, I got through a lot of the books that had been prepared for me in Marseille to kill time. With a dictionary in hand for some parts, my English and French might even be improving.

I also learned a bit of Latin from Kouryuu-sensei, though I really wish the textbook hadn’t been the Bible.

Two hours after Khafji, we finally arrived at the city of Kuwait.

“Nothing but desert as far as the eye can see! It’s almost refreshing how there’s absolutely nothing here.”

“But, over there, a ship.”

“Yeah. The Hinomaru, the Stars and Stripes, and the Union Jack. Looks like they’re all accounted for. Well then, let’s finish the job quickly and get out of this sweltering place as soon as possible.”

“Yes. Then, please change your clothes.”

“You too, Shizu.”

“Yes. Still, what a troublesome place this is.”

“True. But when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

“Indeed, you are right.”

After that exchange, Shizu and I landed dressed head to toe in black, faces covered, and disembarked from the ship that had docked at the pier.

The British destroyer that had escorted us the whole way stayed a little offshore.

At the end of the pier, however, quite a number of people had gathered to welcome us.

“Welcome, my lady.”

The one giving such a respectful bow was Sebastian Stewart, the slightly plump butler candidate who had only just pledged his loyalty to me in America.

“We have been awaiting your arrival.”

The one making that exaggerated bow with a big sweep of his right arm was Robert Smith. He’s the contact person assigned to me from one of the American conglomerates. The fact that he could wear a suit so flawlessly even in this blazing heat was beyond impressive—it was downright ridiculous.

Sebastian, on the other hand, looked oddly well-suited to the local white attire, and it was far less stifling, which was better.

And those two were the only ones I actually knew.

Besides them were British government officials handling local arrangements, representatives from the shell-marked oil company who had come from Iran and Iraq, and what seemed to be a local caliph dressed head to toe in white traditional attire. With such an impressive mustache, there was no mistaking it. On top of that, nearly all the people here looked puzzled at the sight of me and Shizu in our regional women’s outfits.

Well, I can’t really blame them.

“Mr. Smith, Sebastian, sorry for summoning you so suddenly.”

“No, my lady. If you call for me, I will come no matter where. But I must admit, I never imagined it would be a place like this at the ends of the earth.”

“If we have the chance to hear good news in the midst of this looming depression, we too are willing to go anywhere.”

“Thank you, both of you. So, Mr. Smith, where did you come from today?”

“Yes. The center is Rockefeller, but I have been entrusted with full authority by Rockefeller, Morgan, Mellon, and DuPont respectively. I carry a message from them all: please give our regards to Princess Ootori.”

“I see. Thank you, and likewise. Sebastian, should I be the one to speak to the others?”

“No, everything has already been taken care of. These people still wished to offer their own welcome, however.”

(Oh—no wonder natural pearls can’t sell anymore.)

Thinking that, I lift the mouth portion of my burqa to show my face and bow.

“Please allow me to show my face. I am Ootori Reiko, from the ends of the East. I apologize for any disturbance this visit may cause, and I humbly ask for your favor.”

After finishing the greetings, we board cars and trucks that have already been prepared and head straight to the site. But I’m already sensing it strongly, so I have them head in that direction.

The place is south of a small town on a little peninsula in Kuwait. The entire area beneath our feet is a ‘jackpot.’ I feel the presence of something more strongly than ever before — a superlative kind of strike.
And the moment we first arrive right above it, I feel a jolt like electricity running through me.

“Ah! There it is! …Umm, starting from around here. After that, just keep heading straight south until I say stop. This is incredible!”

“Understood!”

At the wheel is Sebastian. In the passenger seat sits Mr. Smith, while Shizu and I are in the back. Naturally, several cars and trucks run before and behind us. The convoy roars across the desert, close to the sea.

And for about thirty minutes after I first spoke, the sensation I was feeling never ceased.
In other words, beneath all the ground we had passed through, an enormous amount of oil was lying dormant. The intensity of the sensation is so overwhelming I almost feel dizzy.

(It really is just like in the textbooks.)

“Stop! Up to here. From the starting point to here, probably the entire oval-shaped area holds a massive oil field. So just take your time drilling while carrying out geological surveys.”

“And… is that all?”

Mr. Smith looks a little dumbfounded.
He must have come with high expectations since I discovered a huge oil field in Texas too, but all I did was drive across the desert in one go. I pretended to observe the scenery around us, but I didn’t dig a single hole.

“Yes, beneath the ground we just crossed, there’s so much oil it’s almost ridiculous.”

“…By the way, do you have any idea how much?”

“I don’t know the exact figures. But it’s an absurd amount. That’s why, not just here but anywhere else, I very strongly recommend keeping not only the discovery but also the location and reserves strictly secret.”

“Yes, I understand that perfectly well. That’s precisely why this matter came about so suddenly, and why we regard this operation as the most confidential of the confidential.”

“Good. I’ll be counting on you for that. So, Sebastian?”

“Yes, my lady. The full set of trial drilling equipment from Ootori has already departed Japan along with a team. Once they arrive, we’ll have them start drilling around the center of the site you just indicated.”

“I’ll leave that to you.”

“Certainly. But once the group from Japan arrives, it will all be their responsibility.”

After a few bows and exchanges, Sebastian gives a little shrug. That kind of gesture is very American.

“So, is it Idemitsu’s subordinates who are coming?”

“Idemitsu-sama himself will come personally. As for the Texas oil field you discovered, Ootori won’t be the one doing the actual drilling, so it seems Idemitsu-sama’s people will be handling everything there.”

“I see. So Idemitsu will be taking charge of the Middle Eastern oil fields. That’s reassuring. Well then—onto the next one!”

“Eh?”

“Understood. Where to next?”

Next to Sebastian’s respectful bow, Mr. Smith is once again frozen in astonishment. Looks like I’ll have to keep talking or he won’t recover.
Apparently, he thought it was just the oil field in Kuwait.

(But that’s naïve. As long as time allows, I’ll find them all and plant the Rising Sun flag on each one.)

Thinking that, I flash him a bright, cheerful smile.

“Let’s see, it looks like there’s a lot of oil and natural gas offshore too, but finding that now won’t do us any good. So for this time, let’s stick to land. How about the arrangements with the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd?”

“They have already been secured.”

“Okay. Then for now, let’s head back to the ship, and move slowly along the coastline. I’ll give instructions on the spot, so just record each location as we go. Then we’ll continue on to Bahrain, land there for a survey, and after that enter the Kingdom of Nejd to look for the real prize.”

“The real prize?”

“Yes! We’re going to search for the greatest oil field in the world!”

“Hahaha!”

“Uh, r-right…”

Sebastian is all fired up, but Mr. Smith is completely taken aback. Well, I suppose that’s exactly the impression I want him to have, but the real shock will come when we succeed in test drilling and the estimated reserves are revealed.

And from there we switched to a ship, and until the sun went down, a rather surreal scene unfolded of me pointing at the land as we moved along.

Meanwhile, detailed records were being taken, even with the use of surveying instruments.

Even in Kuwait, which we left behind without much fuss, things would surely become extremely busy starting tomorrow, and especially once the full-scale survey and test drilling teams arrive.

And most of the information will probably be strictly sealed for about twenty years.

Along with the discovery of the world’s largest oil field to come

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Khafji (offshore) Oil Field:
Once Japan held the mining rights, so it was also called the Hinomaru Oil Field.
I touched on it briefly since it was a Hinomaru Oil Field.
For a Persian Gulf oil field, the oil quality is poor.

Kuwait Oil Field:
Burgan Oil Field.
Located in Kuwait, it is the world’s second-largest oil field. Its reserves amount to an extraordinary 60 billion barrels.
It is said that as early as 1913, Kuwait and Britain were already aware of the existence of the oil field.
Production began in 1946.

Oil Field of the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd:
The world’s largest Ghawar Oil Field. With reserves of 80 billion barrels, it is also an extraordinary amount.
It was discovered in 1948. Production began in 1951.