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Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website This film shows the country of Libya as the American oil company Amoseas (a partnership between Chevron and Texaco) began to search for oil. This was made possible as King Idris the First signed the Minerals Law of 1953 and the Petroleum Law of 1955, opening Libya to foreign oil investors. This eventually skyrocketed Libya as the third largest oil producer on the western European market. The film was produced by Richard Finnie (:42). It opens with the country of Libya on a map (:47) bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. Libyans are pictured as simple and traditional people (1:20). One man uses cattle to drag up water from a well (1:30). Early settlement is explained as the Phoenicians and Greeks settled along the coast (2:04). The Romans left the most enduring of monuments including the seaport of Apollonia (2:45). A few miles inland is Cyrenaica (2:51). Sabratha (3:00) is one of the city’s constructed on a Phoenician foundation. Leptis Magna (3:40); once a prominent city of the Carthaginian Empire and Roman Libya was beginning to be excavated in 1920’s. Close shots highlight intricate detail on the columns (4:18). Tripoli (5:04) was the only city to be continuously populated. The Arch of Marcus Aurelius (5:10) was constructed in 163 AD. A fort from the Spanish intervention (5:27) and a Turkish fort (5:31) are situated near here. Many buildings across the land were constructed by Arabians in the 7th and 11th centuries (5:43). The United Kingdom of Libya was formed by Idris in 1951 (6:20). A map points to the three provinces of Libya (6:32). The capital of Tripolitania is Tripoli (6:47). Benjamin is the capital of Cyrenaica (7:06) and of Fezzan is Sabha (7:35). Mud houses (7:42) were all that stood until the government began a construction program in 1953 (7:46). The now thriving community follows (7:55). A traffic cop guides traffic (8:00). Libyans move through an open air market with blankets (8:21), camels (8:24) and cattle. Many dates, citrus, cereals and olives are grown here (9:00). The agriculturally productive areas were concentrated along the coast (9:07) though some were situated around oasis’s in the desert (9:13). Images of the barren desert follow which was at one time an ocean floor (9:22). It was suspected petroleum deposits existed under the surface. King Idris the First (10:08) is seen in his palace. One of the company’s granted concession was the American Overseas Petroleum Limited Co. (10:48). They took eight concessions (11:01). Amoseas’ office staff is filmed at their headquarters in Tripoli (11:24). A small group of geologists on a pioneering mission (11:59). Rocks are examined (12:44). Field parties start surface geological mapping (13:35). Geologists continue spade work (14:57). Employees lived and worked on the desert throughout the project (15:02). Aerial shots of the land taking reconnaissance missions are inspected (15:22). Equipment and supplies are unloaded (15:45). Small planes came from Tripoli or Benghazi delivering basic needs for the workers (15:56). Drilling rigs and specialized equipment arrive at the dock of Tripoli (16:28). Freight moves from the port to various destinations (16:50). The DC-3 was heavily employed (17:17). Manpower and equipment aboard the aircraft (17:45). The workers tents became air conditioned trailer homes (18:11). Land mines are hunted in the North African desert (18:20). One is uncovered (18:49) and set off (19:23). Following the mine clearing crews were the seismic parties (19:35). The inside of the workers’ trailers is shown including the kitchen staff (21:28). Holes are drilled in order to receive charges (21:37). These would create tremors which were recorded to deliver insight on structures which might yield oil (22:18). Charts are checked afterwards (22:27). Massive drilling rigs brought in (22:34). An international crew of riggers work to raise the drill (22:56). A core sample is pulled from the earth (24:34). Samples were sent to Tripoli to be examined (24:36). The microfossils are inspected under microscope (25:13). Following years of work, oil was located in 1959 (25:33). A map shows dark circles indicating the 10 most important oil fields (25:52). Trade and commerce enhanced the country’s growth (26:37). Celebrations are seen as a band performs (27:01) and spectators enjoy a horse race (27:17). The film wraps up with a shot of the rig standing in the desert (27:36). Created by Caltex Oil Co. (28:15). Note: King Idris was eventually deposed in a 1969 coup d'état led by Muammar Gaddafi. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
