ABSTRACT
The Minerals Law of 1953 had enabled survey work to be carried out in any area for which a permit was obtained, but did not allow any drilling operations, nor the exclusive allocation of specific areas to individual prospectors. This was done by the 1955 Petroleum Law, which provided the legal basis for the development of the Libyan oil industry and still remains to this day on the Statute Book in an amended form. A source states that the new Libyan Government requested oil industry assistance in the formulation of petroleum legislation and that Messrs Hogenhuis, Dale and Pitt-Hardacre helped in the drafting on the Government side. The cumbersome nature of the Petroleum Commission machinery — requiring the co-operation of the representatives of all three Provinces to make decisions, and a subsequent referral to the competent Minister — undoubtedly caused delays in dealing with applications for concessions.
