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Asia's oil production centers are concentrated in Dutch Indonesia, accounting for about 3 percent of the world's total oil production. However, in 1899, the Dutch government had already stipulated that only Dutch citizens were allowed to serve as directors of oil companies operating in the Dutch Indonesian archipelago. The Anglo-Dutch Shell Company, on the other hand, dominates oil production in Dutch Indonesia. As long as the oil of Dutch Indonesia is concentrated in Sumatra, Java and Borneo, these are coveted by China. However, the Netherlands and Germany have close relations, and a large part of the oil that Germany needs every year is imported from the Netherlands, and China and Germany are in the honeymoon period. In addition, in the past two years, the Netherlands has focused on improving the living environment of the Chinese in Dutch Indonesia, and China has no good excuse to take action against Dutch Indonesia for a while. Therefore, grabbing oil in the Persian Gulf region has become China's best option.

"Your Majesty, the Saudi family is used to being poor, and we will give them an annual rent of 100 million yuan now, and they may have been satisfied. But if a large amount of oil is discovered in the Persian Gulf, and the annual benefits far exceed this figure, how will the Saudi family be satisfied? Foreign Minister Wu Tingfang said with some concern. All hearts are greedy. The current Saudi family is already satisfied with 100 million Chinese yuan a year, but no one dares to guarantee that they will not be more greedy in the future.

"Ambition needs to be matched by enough strength. If the Saud family doesn't know each other, we can change the agent. 100 million Chinese dollars a year, enough for the Saudi family to spend on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. If they want more, it's up to them to have the ability! Wang Yuze's words carried some killing intent. Arabs practice Islam. is a bit extreme, Wang Yuze doesn't want to form a deep enmity with the Arabs because of a little interest, so he put forward such a high condition. But if the Arabs don't know what to do, then no wonder he is!

"Your Majesty, I mean, we give 100 million Chinese dollars a year is too much, if we give 10 million a year, and then increase it year by year. Maybe a lot less trouble! Wu Tingfang explained.

"I know, but I didn't think of it that much at the time. The price of 100 million Chinese dollars has already suppressed the Saudi family, so they will willingly accept our conditions. The price of crude oil is now about 50 cents per barrel (the exact number of small fish is not found. I only found out that the price of crude oil was about two dollars in 1918, so this price is temporarily adopted, and book friends bear with me! It will increase year by year in the future. We only need to extract more than 30 million tons of oil a year from Bugeig, and we will be able to guarantee it. Of course, the annual oil production of the United States is only about 10 million tons. It already accounts for 60 percent of the world's total oil production. However, as oil consumption increases, oil production will also rise rapidly. Soon, we will be able to get enough benefits from the Saudis! Wang Yuze explained. For this. He was convinced. He knew that in 1900, there were only 8,000 cars in the United States, and in 1912. It has jumped to 900,000 units, an increase of more than a hundredfold. Measure it from this. The consumption of oil will also increase by at least a hundredfold. In addition, China is also using cars on a large scale, and the current consumption of oil will only be more than in history. Therefore, taking oil from the Persian Gulf at a high price is definitely a sure win.

No one doubts Wang Yuze's judgment. Therefore, everyone is no longer entangled in this issue. The most important thing next is to control the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and get its hands on the oil-rich coast of the Persian Gulf.

On June 30, Saudi Prince Abdulaziz led the Saudi army to defeat the Rashid family's army at Hayil, sweeping away the Rashid family's rule over the Najd kingdom in one fell swoop. After that, the army of the Kingdom of Najd marched to all parts of the Kingdom of Najd, and by the second half of the year, the entire Kingdom of Najd had been controlled by the House of Saud. And in the process, the French army in the Middle East maintained restraint.

On July 1, the 10th Marine Division of the Chinese Marine Corps arrived in Dammam, and the squadron was officially stationed in the Kingdom. This has once again added changes to the situation in the Middle East. However, France has made no move other than protest and seems to be waiting for an opportunity. At the same time, Britain, another colonial power in the Middle East, has also expressed its close relationship with the changes in the Middle East. The British Navy's East African Fleet and Indian Ocean Fleet both have a tendency to concentrate in the Middle East.

The other member states of the Entente and the Central Powers that were fighting against it were also very concerned about this. Kaiser Wilhelm II even repeatedly and publicly stated that Arabs living in the Middle East have the right to pursue national and national independence, and that a just Germany should support the Arabs. It's just that, secretly, Germany is also probing China's intentions. It's just that China has been tight-lipped about this!

The world's main eyes are focused on the Kingdom. It is already at the center of the storm, and whether the storm will detonate or subside will depend on what China will gain in the Kingdom. And each country, based on this, will decide what position to take next!

Al-Buqaiq is located about 300 kilometers east of Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and about 70 kilometers southwest of Dammam. Despite its proximity to the coast, it is still in the middle of the desert and the weather is very hot and arid. However, in the depths of the desert, there is an oasis of several square kilometers, which makes a small town rise here. In the treaty between China and the Kingdom, al-Buqaiq had been granted a concession to China. Now, the town is surrounded by troops from China and some quirky machines that the Arabs have never seen before.

Every day, the rumbling sound of drilling comes from the sea of sand, making the Arabs in the town a little miserable. It's just that China has given the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia great help, and they have chosen to be patient with their benefactors. At the same time, the news of China's search for oil in Bugeig has spread around the world. Countries have also learned that China's real purpose is to find oil. It's just that in the barren Persian Gulf, is there really oil? Most countries don't believe it. Now the main oil exploitation is concentrated in the southern United States of Mexico. Many countries are waiting to see the joke of China, which pays 100 million yuan a year in rent, and if it can't find oil, it will be a big loss.

The French government was also highly nervous, they had colonized the kingdom of Najd for many years, but they had never found oil there. However, he had to be prepared. If there is really oil there, there is a huge amount of oil, France will not give up. The importance of oil has gradually become apparent, more and more cars and ships need oil to be able to operate, and oil has begun to gradually replace the role of coal. France will not hesitate to fight for the sake of the benefits of oil, of course, only if it has to pull in allies such as Britain. Otherwise, France would not have the guts.

Li Boyu, a professor of geology at Imperial University, was in charge of this trip to the Kingdom in search of oil. With dozens of students and assistants, he has been looking for more than half a month near Bugeig, but he has never drilled oil, which makes him a little suspicious. If that's the case, then the country will lose a lot.

Therefore, Professor Li Boyu has been eagerly looking forward to finding oil sooner. In the past few days, because of the urgency and the climate is too dry, the corners of the mouth have been foamed.

The Middle East has a hot climate and a lack of fresh water, making it very difficult to station troops and extract oil in the Middle East. Fortunately, China has made great progress in the use of electricity, and the refrigerator has been invented. For the 10th Division of the Marine Corps, the Logistics Department has prepared hundreds of refrigerators for freezing water and drinks to relieve the heat of the soldiers. It's just that for this reason alone, a large amount of fuel has to be transported from the country, which has caused a lot of waste. If oil can be found in the Kingdom and an oil refinery can be built, then the problem will be solved.

On the afternoon of July 22, Professor Li Boyu was stunned at the map. Outside the tent, there was a sudden earth-shattering cheer.

Immediately afterward, the door of the tent was opened, and one of Professor Li Boyu's students rushed in with a smile on his face.

"It's oily, Professor, it's oily. It's all light crude oil! The students cheered loudly.

Li Boyu hurriedly rushed out, and in between, a crimson flame was rising into the sky above a drilling well. A steady stream of petroleum gas, because of the pressure, gushes out.

"Hurry up and report to the country, and in addition, calculate the reserves!" Professor Li Boyu's voice trembled a little, most of the month's efforts have not been in vain!

Just two days later, Professor Li Boyu and his students calculated the initial reserves of the Bugeig field, a super large oil field with reserves of more than one billion tons. This is simply unbelievable, when the news was reported back to China, Wang Yuze was very happy and ordered Professor Li Boyu and others to be rewarded heavily.

In order to protect the safety of the oil fields, the General Staff ordered the 10th Marine Division to immediately send a regiment to Bugeig, and to mobilize the army's engineering troops to prepare for the construction of an oil refinery and storage base in Bugeig. At the current price of oil, 50 cents per barrel is almost $4 per ton, and the reserves of one billion tons are $4 billion, which is equivalent to more than 3 billion Chinese dollars. In addition, the price of oil is still rising, which will bring huge benefits to China!