Turner Valley Gas Plant

Provincial Archives of Alberta

The Turner Valley Gas Plant, located 60 kms south of Calgary, was the cornerstone of Alberta's early oil and gas industry. On May 14, 1914, the Dingman #1 well site struck a petroleum field. It was a strike that changed the industrial face of Alberta, and the entire country, forever.

This image was taken the day after the well blew in. Mr. Brown, the assistant driller, is turning the valve on the wellhead as oil spurts into the air.

Through three separate stages of development between World War I and the late 1940s, the processing plant at Turner Valley served as the primary petroleum refining facility for Canada's largest known oilfield. While it was overshadowed by the arrival of Leduc No. 1 in 1947, the Turner Valley field continued to produce oil and gas for decades, and processed specialty products until 1985.

Today, the plant is a national and provincial historic site that captures the early history of a vital industry in Alberta. The Alberta government is currently working to reclaim and preserve the site. For more information on the reclamation and preservation efforts, visit www.cd.gov.ab.ca/tvgp.