TURNER VALLEY OIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18618, 14 July 1930, Page 5

TURNER VALLEY OIL.

FIELD OF HUNDRED FLAMES. ENORMOUS WASTAGE OF GAS. (By T.C.L.) On our arrival in. Calgary, the capital of the province of Alberta, and a city of 90,000 people, though only about 40 years old, we were told by our hosts not on any account to miss seeing the wonderful Turner Valley oil field at night. Though it was seven in the evening before we arrived by long motor journey from Banff, the scenic resort in the Rockies, and wc were travel-weary, for we had little sleep on the train the night before, we set off an hour later on the 45miles trip to Turner Valley. As the evening shades began to fall we could see the sky illuminated in the direction of the valley, and the lights became clearer as we approached the locality. In the distance they were like mammoth incandescent lights dotted oyer an area of,from 12 miles to one mile, and showed up the whole countryside most distinctly. It was a wonderful scene—one that none of us is likely to forget. As we reached the valley itself the cause of the brilliant illumination was revealed. Jets of flame, from 20 to 100 feet high, were being cast upward from over a hundred pipes—the natural gas of the field for which no commercial use can be found. Between the jets could be seen in the glare of the light, or in the shade, over a hundred oil derricks, some of wood, most of steel like the great stack at Omata, New Plymouth. In close proximity were a few farm houses looking strangely oitf of place in such an inferno. The noise of the emitting gas was terrific and speech was out of the question. Not that one desired to speak, for one was too awe-struck with the phenomenon. It was like fifty Tikiteres thrown into one. Development of Field. Oil and gas weie riisc suuck in the Turner Valley in 1914. There was the usual “wild-catting and subsequent disappointment and losses. After the war the field was worked systematically, and in 1923 a well was “brought in” that yielded 7.000,00 feet of “wet” gas per day. Later another gave a gas flow of 24,000,000 feet. The flows have been sustained. Limited strikes of crude petroleum have also been obtained from other wells. By 1925 over 165,000 barrels of naptha and 3000 barrels of light crude oil were won; in 1926 the figures were 211,000 and 5981; in 1927. 290.000 and 42,000; in 1928, 410,600 and 79,000; in 1929 production of all oils had passed the million barrels mark. For 1930 we were told these figures would be easily passed, for more and more wells are being brought in. Up to date the producing wells have averaged 170 barrels per day, the market value being [ about £1 per barrel, i The wet gas is “scrubbed,” or clean--1 ed by special plants on the field. The j residue is burned and the petrol pumped by 3in to 4in pipe lines into Calgary where there are two large refineries Another pipe line conveys the naturai gas to Calgary and neighbouring towns, the supply for 1929 being over 40.000,000 cubic feet per day. This is retailed at 33 cents, or \/\\, per 1000 cubic feet, and householders report its quality to be excellent, as it should be, containing as it does 50 per cent, more thermal units than gas manufactured from coal. The gas wastage ‘crrific, over 300,000.000 feet going up in smoke daily. There is no market for it at present,

j but authority has lately been secured to pipe it into the neighbouring United I States. Just now the gas has to be j sacrificed in order to obtain the gaso- j line. The gas in its natural state yields ' two or three pints of gasoline per thousand cubic feet. The chief constituents : | are: Menthane 70 per cent., ethane 28 j per cent., nitrogen 1 per cent. The i crude petroleum that has been obtained by some of the wells has a mixed j paraffin and asphaltic base. Enormous Gas Pressure. About 105 wells have been sunk and of these 95 are producing the wet gas or petroleum. Many others are in process of boring. The gas pressure from : some of the wells is enormous, and taxed the ingenuity and resource of i the engineers to control it. We were | shown a gulch in a corner of the field where it was impossible to gaze for ; I more than a few seconds, even from a I point 60 yards away, on the sheet of i flame belching out and spending itself 1 j on the rocks below, so intense was the ; glare and the heat. There is apparently ! no diminution of the pressure, for it has ' been maintained for over seven years, j The engineers state the field is only in its infancy, and that before long the i valley will supply the gasoline needs of j the whole of Canada. But this is not the only oil structure in Alberta. There j are several others to the north-west i which they contend will eclipse Cali- ! fornia in production. ] A curious feature of one or two of I the producing wells in Turner Valley is their blockage through freezing, this being caused by the varying tempera- ; tures and the enormous pressure of the gas. It is a problem which is engaging the close attention of the engineers. The cost of boring the average well is about £20,000, and consequently the loss is substantial should ! it freeze up. Some of the biggest producers are those that have been bored Ito a depth of from 2500 to 2700 feet, one (the Rogers Imperial), giving the : tremendous flow or over 60,000,000 cubic i feet of gas daily. Nearby is a village called Okotoks. a I real ramshackle, wild-west town, with equally wild looking inhabitants. “Insurance companies don’t accept risks here," said one of our hosts. We were not surprised. The oil field has naturally afforded speculators opportunities for gambling in shares. The par value of the shares i of the various companies operating at ; present is no less than £40,000,000. : Some of the shares at the height of j the boom went up to 40 dollars; at ( ! present they are at 5-5 dollars —a figure about representing their commerc- t ial value. The extent of the losses to speculators may be gauged from this declination.