顾维钧与中国西北石油开发

V. K. Wellington Koo and the Oil Development in Northwest China

"九·一八"事变爆发后,随着中国面临的军事威胁不断加剧,石油的战略价值愈发凸显。因此,国民政府加快了开发中国石油资源的步伐,制定了鼓励民间投资和排斥日本、联合英美的石油开发策略。在此背景下,顾维钧作为国际知名的外交家,利用其在国内外的声望和人脉,在中国西北石油开发进程中扮演了重要角色。他一方面联合周作民、钱永铭、严恩槱等中国民间投资者向国民政府提出申请,取得了甘肃、新疆、青海三省的石油勘探和开采特权,建立中国煤油探矿公司;另一方面通过加拿大友人何生积极与美孚石油公司接洽合作,委派美国地质学家韦勒和苏顿前往中国西北勘探油田。在孔祥熙访欧之际,顾维钧介入了关于中国应当精炼进口原油还是开采本国石油的论争,并试图促成中、美、英三方共同开发中国五省石油,杜绝日本在华发展石油产业。抗战全面爆发后,国民政府在开发四川油田、向外国在华石油公司购买石油、进口原油在华精炼等提高中国石油储备的尝试均未成功的情况下,决心开发玉门油矿,因此收回了顾维钧等人的石油开采特权。顾维钧参与中国西北石油开发,不仅为国民政府开发玉门油矿奠定了基础,也为中国的持久抗战注入了能量。

After the breakout of Mukden Incident,with the increasing military threat from Japan to China the strategic value of the crude oil has been highlighted. As a result,the Nationalist Government stepped up the pace of oil exploitation by developing a strategy to counter Japanese influence,which encouraging private investment in oil industry and collaborating with the British and American oil companies as well. Against this background,V. K.Wellington Koo, an internationally known Chinese diplomat, taking advantage of his personal reputation and relationships at home and abroad,played a vital role in the oil development in Northwest China. With the help of Chinese investors Zhou Zuomin,Qian Yongming and Yan Enyou,Koo has been granted the privilege on oil exploration and exploitation in Gansu,Xinjiang and Qinghai. Meanwhile,Koo initiated the collaboration with Standard Vacuum Oil Company through the connection of his Canadian friend Hurry Hussey,and employed American geologists J. M.Weller and Fred Sutton to prospect oil in Northwest China. During H. H. Kung＇s visit to Europe,Wellington Koo involved himself in the debate on China should refine crude oil imported from abroad or exploit petroleum reserve at home. Koo attempted to bring about a Sino-Britain-American trilateral cooperation to develop the Chinese oil industry,in order to excluding Japanese ownership in such a key strategic sector. After the outbreak of Anti-Japanese War,the attempts made by the Nationalist Government on developing Sichuan Oilfield,purchasing oil from foreign companies in China,as well as refining the crude oil imported from abroad all failed. Finally,the Nationalist Government made up the decision to exploit the Yumen Oilfield. Therefore,Koo＇s privilege on oil exploitation has been canceled. With his effort on the oil development in Northwest China,Koo paved the way for the further exploitation of Yumen Oilfield by the Nationalist Government,and contributed to the Chinese protracted war of resistance against Japan.