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A significant petroleum industry publication from the early post-colonial era, compiled by A. H. Munger and E. Placidi with geological work by Edward A. Gribi Jr. (Westates Petroleum Co.). The maps reflect the integration of proprietary and government geophysical data into a format intended for commercial and technical use by oil exploration teams. Areas of production, suspended or idle wells, exploratory activity, pipeline routes (existing and proposed), and concession boundaries are plotted over base maps, with stratigraphic zones overprinted in brown.

As noted in a contemporary news clipping tipped in at the front, this atlas was used widely by American, French, and Italian oil firms operating in the region, including those active in Spanish Sahara, Libya, Nigeria, and the Arabian Peninsula. Among the advertisers are leading geological service firms such as Schlumberger, Haney & Williams, and Western Geophysical Co., whose participation underscores the atlas’ status as a working resource rather than a public reference.

Issued at a key moment in petroleum history—just after the creation of OPEC in September 1960—the atlas offers a contemporaneous snapshot of oil concessions and early infrastructure across North and sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. It captures the pre-nationalization moment of the Libyan fields, the rise of Aramco in Saudi Arabia, and the early outlines of drilling interest in Nigeria, Gabon, and French West Africa. Field coverage is particularly strong for Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and Algeria.

The Munger map books, while widely used in the industry, were printed in limited numbers and not typically retained by libraries or institutions. Surviving copies are scarce.