Part 19: The Frozen Frontier

In the eyes of the newborn Canadian petroleum industry, the Arctic was a vast and undiscovered country. But all of that would change in 1919, when Ted Link, an Imperial Oil geologist, convinced his company to send an expedition to investigate geological reports of oil seepage along the Mackenzie River. In 1920, following Link's lead, Imperial Oil drilled at Norman Wells, and uncovered a vast untapped oil store. The age of Arctic oil exploration had begun.

But even for hardened veterans of the industry, exploring in the Arctic presented a unique set of technical and physical challenges. Such challenges needed to be overcome if the vast economic promise of the north was to be fully exploited.

Former workers in Canada’s Arctic talk about the area, its history and its hidden potentials.

This episode features the voices of Bill Allen, Jean Angus, John Ballachey, John Ballem, Peter Bawden, Walt Dingle, Mary Dickson, Glenn Fox, Alex Hemstock, Charles Hetherington, Gordon Jones, Stan Kanik, Don MacKenzie, Fred McKinnon, Aubrey Kerr, Scov Murray, Jack Pettinger, Les Rowland, Ed Tovell, Tom Wark

Part 20: Discovery North of 60 - The Arctic Frontier

Alberta was the hotbed of oil drilling activity through much of the 1950s, but in the early 1960s a few adventurous companies like Sproule & Associates and Dome Petroleum had decided to gamble on drilling in the Arctic Circle. Find out what went on behind the scenes when exploring and drilling in Canada's far north. How did they drill in permafrost? What about the 24 hour nights? How would equipment and personnel adapt to the cold? All these challenges were waiting to be overcome.

An additional problem was investor interest. Getting a commitment on northern oil exploration proved a difficult hill to climb. By December, 1967, though, a consortium of twenty oil and mining companies backed by the Federal Government formed Pan Arctic Oil, a cooperative geological agreement that would allow companies to share land lease and survey information in order to drill more efficiently.

While drilling in the north was not easy, it was very exciting. Listen as some of the people who experienced it for themselves talk about working conditions, the threat of bears and severe weather conditions.

This episode features the voices of John Ballem, Ed Baltrusaitus, Peter Bawden, Swede Black, Glenn Fox, Charles Hetherington, Gordon Jones, Stan Kanik, Scov Murray, Clair Nabors, Mel Reasoner, Ed Tovell

Part 21: The Future, North of 60 and Pipeliners, Part I

In 1967, oil industry pioneers Cam Sproule, of Sproule & Associates, and Jack Gallagher, of Dome Petroleum, had managed to convince twenty oil and mining companies to form Pan Arctic Oil, to make drilling in the Arctic a more cost-effective endeavour. Still, such efforts did not seem to spark significant investor interest.

But as with the infamous Atlantic oilwell #3 in Alberta, economic interest in the Arctic was just a couple of blowouts away. In 1969 and 1970 respectively, oilwells at Drake Point and at King Christian Island blewout. Despite environmental concerns at the time, plugging the blowout at King Christian Island was delayed to show off the potential of drilling in the north and to court potential investors who were invited on site. Since then, companies and investors have taken a much closer interest in Arctic petroleum projects.

To move oil from source wells in the north or the Alberta oil patch to towns and cities across Canada, pipelines are essential. The very first pipeline in the world was built in Canada in 1853. As more and more oil deposits were tapped, more and more pipeline projects were undertaken - the CANOL Pipeline in the north, the InterProvincial Pipeline stretching between Alberta and Ontario, the Trans-Mountain Pipeline, the Westcoast Transmission Pipeline, and the controversial Trans-Canada Pipeline. All speak to the enormous demands for development and change in the petroleum industry.

This episode features the voices of Bill Allen, Geoff Andrews, Eric Atkinson, Ed Baltrusaitus, Clifford Ray Barker, Jack Browning, Frank Dabbs, Charles Hetherington, Gordon Jones, Eddie Laborde, Mary MacRae, Ralph Oberne, Les Rowland, Clark Siferd, Ed Tovell