Page 6 - Alberta Energy 2016

6 | Celebrating Alberta’s Energy 2015-2016
Roots of Oil exploration in Drumheller
Patrick Kolafa
news@drumhellermail.com
There is something under the
ground.
The history of Drumheller has been
defined by what lies beneath the soil
that we walk on. From dinosaurs, to
the coal boom, to present day and the
extensive exploration and extraction
2015
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of oil and natural gas. While palae-
ontology may have defined much of
the image of the valley, energy has
defined the economy of the area. At
times the two have crossed over.
One of the first to look beneath the
surface in Alberta was George Daw-
son, the first director of the Geologi-
cal Society of Canada, and namesake
of Dawson City and Dawson Creek.
inSide photo by
Shari Christensen
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t-JDFOTFEXJUIJOUIF5PXOPG%SVNIFMMFS heller area in 1950.
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TheDrumhellerMail.com | December 2015
He is credited with While palaeontology On September 3, they
extensive research may have defined broke through. The
into coal deposits much of the im- well blew 200 feet in
and dinosaur fossils. age of the valley, energy has the air.
One of his early field defined the economy of the
assistants happened area. The Drumheller Mail
to be a man named reported: “A produc-
Joseph Tyrrell. These tion test on the Mazel
Drumheller Oil Well
pioneers in the geo- No. 1, which blew on
logical field often pointed out what Sunday, will be made by the end of
would become obvious to the origi- the week, The Mail was informed this
nal settlers of the area. morning. Casing, it was learned, was
According to a history compiled for being moved to the site as quickly as
the Hills of Home by Myrtle Toshach possible.
and Bill Murphy, early settlers dug A special electronic device (Philip’s
coal out of the hills. When the likes divining rod), it was learned was used
of Sam Drumheller and Jesse Gouge in locating the site for the well.
appeared on the scene, they recog- “When the Mazel Drumheller No.
nized the economic potential of the 1 Well, near this city blew in lust-
coal and took out the first leases in ily early Sunday morning scattering
the valley. oil over a wide area, officials here
Drumheller coal provided the pow- believe that the “strike” could be her-
er for industry and private use. It also alded as a new field. Production as
helped Canada weather two world the well came in was rated at 3,000
wars. The industry drove the growth to 5,000 barrels per day.”
of the town, and in 1930 Drumheller The importance of the discovery
was incorporated as a city. was discussed on the editorial page.
Many see the Leduc discovery as “The recent oil discovery near this
signalling in of a new age in energy city has substantially boosted the im-
production and eventually conven- portance of the area in the eyes of the
tional coal mining ended in Drum- rest of Canada and laid the founda-
heller. tion for greater achievement through-
Around the same time as Leduc, The out the years.”
Daily Oil Bulletin reported that Gulf “Major part of this credit for the
Research and Exploration, a division latest stride in our advance to great-
of Gulf Oil was to expand its opera- er commercial importance is due to
tion in Alberta in what it described as the district boosters of the well. Each
one of the “hot spots” of exploration quietly played a pioneering part now
in 1947. written into our history.”
“This bolt starts in around 60 miles The original well cost $112,000 to
northeast of the City of Calgary, to the drill and was at the 5,571 foot level
north of Drumheller and Hanna, and when it blew.
trends north and northwest for over The syndicate made a deal with
200 miles to the Whitecourt area, New Superior Oils to drill the re-
some 100 miles northwest of Edmon- maining 12 wells on the section. All
ton City.” 12 struck oil.
Oil was discovered in the Drum- More wells were drilled, and by the
end of 1953, about 6,000 barrels of
A group of residents pooled their oil a day were being pumped.
resources and secured drilling rights. Another group called The Stock-
The area had been surveyed by Great ton Syndicate drilled two successful
Plains Development Company, with wells, and by 1954, oil was being
the verdict that there was no deposits. used for heating in Drumheller.
This didn’t deter the group. Instead of At that time there were no pipelines
science, they used what was dubbed in place, so oil had to be trucked to
as “electric divining rod” and picked Calgary. As production increased, a
their spots to drill. tank car terminal was established in
The first site they picked to drill Munson. Soon after however a pipe-
on was called Mazel No. 1, Mazel line was completed to Big Valley and
meaning luck in Hebrew. The well Stettler to transport oil to market.
was located about six miles north Today, energy is still an important
and east of Drumheller. They were driver of the economy in Drumheller
drilling late into the summer of 1952. and area.
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