Halul Island

James Ashley Maude documented the first known discovery of the island in July 1817, referring to it as "Hawlool Island". He wrote: Maude also notes the island's close proximity to extensive pearling beds. File:Halul Island 1823 chart.jpg|'Trigonometrical plan of the island of Hawlool in the Gulf of Persia' by G.B. Brucks (1823) Scottish hydrographer James Horsburgh wrote a description of the island in his 1855 guide The India Directory. His account did not differ by much from the earlier description given by Maude in 1817. ==Geography==

The island lies southeast of Qatar's northernmost point, Ras Rakan, and around northeast of the capital Doha. The island is visible from a distance of about , and it is surrounded by a reef that extends up to offshore. It constitutes the easternmost landmass of Qatar. With a distance of slightly more than from the nearest point of mainland Qatar, which is Ra's Abū Qarn on the northeastern coast and in the municipality of Al Khor, it is also the most remote island of the country. The island is susceptible to shamal winds. Located about northeast of the island is the rocky and shallow Shah Allum Shoal. It is one of the only two territories of Qatar which lie on a Paleozoic surface. Iron oxides such as hematite and ochre are found on the island, but have been left unexploited due to the high costs of extraction and transportation. Sediments such as anhydrites, carbonate rocks and clastic deposits accompanied by igneous rocks are found on the island. Volcanic rocks from the island were K–Ar dated in 1998, suggesting that the sediments were formed 33 million years ago. The exposed rocks on the island include dolomites composed of thin, laminae (possibly pseudomorphs after gypsum) and massive pink or purple anhydrites. These are stained by iron, and the cracks are filled with materials such as marl or other clay-rich materials. Along with more than 200 islands in the Gulf region, Halul island is believed to have formed by salt diapirism sourced in the Infracambrian Hormuz Salt Series. Wildlife The island serves as a habitat for several species of marine animals, and many seabirds. Upwards of 80 wild goats inhabit the hilly interior landscape, having expanded from a group of six animals first transported to the island in 1963. The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) is cooperating with QatarEnergy to protect and grow the island's wildlife. Among the most important initiatives taken are the planting of 400 saline-resistant trees, such as mangroves, and the establishment of protected sea turtle nesting sites. ==Infrastructure==

Shortly after the commencement of oil activities, in the mid-1950s the government began investing resources to convert Halul into a major oil loading terminal. The significance of the island was further realized in the 1960s after the government began establishing offshore oil fields. Between 1964 and 1966, industrial infrastructure was constructed on the island. Halul produces its own electricity. It has nine turbogenerators with a power capacity of 43 MW. The generators are powered using mainly sour/sweet gas fuel and sometimes diesel, although the diesel is mainly used as fuel for the island's vehicles and marine craft. Halul's two desalination units have a daily capacity of . The pump used for loading tankers has a maximum pumping rate of 75,000 barrels per hour. A firefighting pump and a small nitrogen plant are also installed. The Qatar Emiri Navy has a base on the island. ==Gallery==

Sea rocks in Halul Island.jpg|Rocks at sea illuminated by the gas flares of oil refineries A mountain goat at Haloul Island.jpg|A mountain goat at the northern tip of Halul Island Sea turtle tracks on Halul Island.jpg|Sea turtle tracks on the west side of Halul Island ==See also==