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Highlights of Canadian's Petroleum History

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1859

Natural gas discovered in New Brunswick.

1883

First gas found in Alberta, at Langevin, near Medicine Hat.

1889

Eugene Coste drilled in Essex County, Ontario, for natural gas.

1901

First commercial gas field developed at Medicine Hat.

1907

Writer Rudyard Kipling visited Medicine Hat and described it as having "all hell for a basement."

1909

"Old Glory," at the time the largest gas well in Canada, drilled at Bow Island. At first, though, it was reportedly drilled in the wrong location.

1912

Gas pipeline built from Bow Island to Calgary (275 kilometers) by Canadian Western Natural Gas.

1914

First discovery of gas-condensate reservoir at Turner Valley, the famed Dingman #1.

1920

Royaltite No. 14 blows its top at Turner Valley, producing the "driest" gas of its time.

1922

The first major sour oil and gas is discovered in Turner Valley at Royalite No.4.

1924

Gas condensate reservoir discovered in Mississippian at Turner Valley.

1930

Bow Island field closes; in its lifetime it was said to have produced 336 bcf into the Calgary market.

1938

Alberta Petroleum and Natural Gas Conservation Board formed by Social Credit Government.

1939

William Stewart Herron, founder of Turner Valley, dies.

1944

Shell discovers Jumping Pound. It is the first time efforts to recover sulfur from sour gas are tried.

1947

After 133 failed attempts by Imperial Oil, the company finally strikes oil at Ludek #1 in Alberta. (Many consider this to be the seminal moment in Canadian Petroleum History.)

1957

First gas exported by Westcoast Transmission Co. from Vancouver to U.S. markets.

1957

First gas exported to eastern Canada by Trans Canada Pipeline.

1961

Alberta established air quality objectives and gave industry five years to comply.

1967

Sable Island gas discovered by Shell.

1969

Panarctic discovers Drake Point gas field.

1974

Ludek stops producing.

1980

Legendary exploration geologist Ted Link dies.

1982

Pre-build section of Alaska Pipeline opened; Alberta's remaining natural gas reserves peaked at 65 tcf; Canada's worst sour gas incident occurred in a relatively unpopulated area of west-central Alberta, east of the hamlet of Lodgepole -- for 68 days, a high-pressure sour gas well blew out of control.

1985

Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's begins re-regulation of the oil industry; Turner Valley shuts down.

1986

Caroline Swan Hills Field discovered by Shell.

1996

Canadian Petroleum Hall of Fame established.

2000

First gas production from Sable Island, Canada's first offshore gas development; first shipment of gas on Alliance Pipeline; in mid-December, the spot price for Alberta gas closes at a record $16.95 CDN per gigajoule.