When I visited Canada in 1877-78, the refining of petroleum was
principally conducted in the city of London, Ontario. At the present
time Petrolia, Ontario, is the chief seat of the industry, and it was
accordingly to this city that we made our way. Here we were treated
with the greatest kindness and hospitality by Mr. John D. Noble,
vice-president of the Petrolia Crude Oil and Tanking Co., and his
brother, Mr. R. D'Oyley Noble, and were enabled in the short time at
our disposal to visit typical portions of the producing territory and
some of the principal refineries.
The development of the Canadian petroleum industry may be said to date
from 1857, when a well dug for water was found to yield a considerable
quantity of petroleum; but long previously, indeed from the time of
the earliest settlements in the county of Lamberton, in the western
part of the province of Ontario, petroleum was known to exist in
Canada. In 1862 productive flowing wells were drilled at Oil Springs,
but these wells, which were comparatively shallow, quickly became
exhausted, and the territory was deserted on the discovery in 1865 of
oil at Petrolia, seven miles to the northward, and about 16 miles
southwest of the outlet of Lake Huron. Recently the Oil Springs wells
have been drilled deeper, and are now producing 10,000 to 12,000
barrels (of 42 American gallons) per month. Petroleum has also been
found at Bothwell, 35 miles from Oil Springs, but this district has
ceased to yield. Quite recently a new territory has been discovered at
Euphemia, 17 miles from Bothwell, where, at the time of our visit,
there were four wells producing collectively 70 barrels per day. This
territory is by some regarded as part of the Bothwell field.
The present producing oil belt extends from Petrolia in a
northwesterly direction, to the township of Sarnia, and in a
southeasterly direction to Oil Springs, but in the latter direction
there is a break of about four and a quarter miles, commencing at a
point about two miles from Petrolia. At Oil Springs there appears to
be a pool about two miles square. The extension of the belt then
continues in the same direction, with another break of about nine
miles, to the new oil field of Euphemia, the average width of the oil
belt being about two miles. In all, about 15,000 wells are believed to
have been drilled in the Canadian oil fields, and of these about 2,500
are now producing, the average yield being about three quarters of a
barrel per well per day. The aggregate production is probably about
700,000 barrels per annum, the greater part of which is obtained in
the Petrolia district, and the stocks were at the time of our visit
stated to amount to from 400,000 to 450,000 barrels.
In the Canadian oil fields the drilling contractor usually employs his
own derrick, engine, boiler, and tools, furnishes wood and water,
cases the well, and fixes the pump; the well owner providing the
casing and pump, and subsequently erecting the permanent derrick.
The wells in the Oil Springs field were formerly from 200 ft. to 300
ft. in depth, but the oil stratum then worked became waterlogged, and
the wells are now sunk to a depth of about 375 ft., and are cased to a
depth of about 275 ft. to shut off the water. The contract price for
drilling a 4-5/8 in. hole to a depth of about 375 ft. under the
conditions mentioned is 150 dols. (£30), and the time occupied in
drilling is usually about a week when the work is continued night and
day. The wells in the Petrolia field have a depth of 480 ft., the
contract price, including the cost of 100 ft. of wooden conductor,
being 175 dols. (£35), and the time occupied in drilling being from
six to twelve days. Pole tools are used in drilling, the poles being
of white ash, 37 ft. in length. The derrick is about 48 ft. in height.
An auger some 4 ft. in length, and about a foot in diameter, is used
to bore through the earth to the bed rock, the auger being rotated by
horse power.
The drilling tools commonly consist of a bit, 2½ ft. in length by
4-5/8 in. in diameter, weighing about 60 lb.; a sinker bar, into which
the bit is screwed, 30 ft. in length by 3 in. in diameter, weighing
about 1,040 lb.; and the jars, inserted between the sinker bar and the
poles about 6 ft. in length, and weighing 150 lb. The tools are
suspended by a chain, which passes three times round the end of the
walking beam and thence to the windlass, with ratchet wheel fixed on
the walking beam, by means of which the tools are gradually lowered as
the drilling proceeds. The cable is thus only employed in raising the
tools from the well and lowering them into it.
The sand pump or bailer is frequently as much as 37 ft. in length, and
is about 4 in. in diameter. The casing (4-5/8 in diameter) costs about
45 cents (1s. 10½d.) per foot, and the 1¼ in. pump, with piping, costs
from 65 dols. (£13) to 85 dols. (£17), according to the length of
pipe required. An ordinary square frame derrick costs, with mud sill,
from 22 dols. (£4 8s.) to 27 dols. (£5 8s.), and the walking beam
about 8 dols. (£1 12s.) In many cases, however, a three-pole derrick,
which can be erected at an expense of about 10 dols. (£2), is
employed. A 100 barrel wooden tank costs, erected, 50 dols. (£10).