Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-14
BY RICHARD FRYKLUND

Eufcpean Correspondent Of The star
RAsSI MEssAoUD, Sahara.
This new desert oil field has
Just begun supplying France
with a trickle OF precious oil.
Engineers and biologists here
believe the trickle could soon
become q torrent and solve all
of Frances oil problems. All
they ask for is a big pipeline 10
the sea and a little more drill
ing equipment.
But back in Paris. govern
ment leaders fear the solution
to their oil problems is more
than q technical one. 1t will
involve some sort Of settlement
or accommodation of French
disputes with North African
Moslem groups.
For the real difficulty is not
finding the oil lit was found
in huge quantities in the
Sahara last year, or of build
ing the big pipe investment
money can be rounded upll The
problem Is to secure safe pas
sage for the oil through war
racked Algeria or through UNI
friendly Tunisia or Libya.
Fear Rebel Sabotage
Unless the Algerian war is
ended, the rebels presumably
win try to sabotage any pipe
through Algeria. But before
the oil can so out through other
countries. Libya, Tninisia and
even Morocco will have to be
satisfied in some way that their
vague claims 70 chunks of oil
bearing Sahara are not being
nouted by the French.
A six-inch pipeline (the
French call II the baby pipe''D
has been laid from here To-
Touggourt. 100 miles TO the
north. There the oil Is trans
ferred to railroad tank cars and
shipped $50 miles on northward
to the Algerian port Of Phil
ippeville.
In three years the French
plan to have a large 24-inch
pipe completed from Hassi
Messaoud to another Algerian
port. Bougie - rebellion per-
hitting. And plans are laid for
other 24-inch pipes from Edjele'
and Tiguentourine. two big
fields 500 miles south Of here
near the Lihyan border, to
nearby ports either in Tanisia
or Libya-those countries per-
uniting.
wont Give Up Sahara
France has no intention Of
swing Up any part Of the Al
eerian Sahara. The Sahara re.
gions have been detached ad-
ministratively from the rest Of
Algeria so that the oil regions
can remain French even II
coastal Algeria some day be-
comes independent or self-gov-
erning. The rebels, naturally.
claim all Algeria for their pres
emily stymied independence
movement.
The French government,
meanwhile, has mapped q bill
lion-dollar development pro-
gram for the Sahara In the
next three years. A half-dozen
oil companies are now explor-
ing and drilling In the desert.
One company Is half French,
half Royal Dutch-Sheil: the
others are French controlled
with minority participation by
several small American COM
panies.
Standard Oil Of New Jersey
Is reported to be interested In
Q $3.50 operation with French
interests for further explora-
ton.
The French government isl
encouraging other outside cap
ital to enter the scramble for
oil. The government assures in
vestors that tax terms will be
favorable and that French reg
ulations will not interfere in
operations by outside firms.
They Need Assistance
The reasons for this hos
pitality are these:
First. investment capital Is
scarce in France. In fact. there
Is an economic crisis in France
today which threatens to force
3 curtailment Of French efforts