The Petroleum Industry of Canada 



BY NORMAN I,. TURNER, M.A., BELLEVILLE 



Bead before the Hamilton Scientific Association, 

 March IQth, 1908. 



The petroleum industry of Canada is one of the most 

 interesting and least known sources of her wealth, although 

 of small proportions as compared with the immense 

 developments in the United States and Russia, it has still 

 had a marked effect on the economic development of this 

 country. 



During the year 1907 crude oil, to the amount of 788, 

 872 barrels, with a value of $1,057,088.00, was produced. 

 This amount is an increase of approximately $300,000 over 

 the previous year. During the last ten years the produc- 

 tion has ranged in value from $700,000 to $1,200,000. In 

 1899 the highest point was reached, namely $1,202,020. 



Comparing these figures with those of other non- 

 metallic minerals, it is seen that the petroleum industry 

 ranks third in the list ; coal first with approximately 

 $24,000,000, asbestos second with $2,500,000, and 

 petroleum third with $1,000,000. These figures will con- 

 vey in a small measure the importance of this industry. 



The Canadian oil business is reall}- the first of its kind 

 to be worked on a systematic commercial basis. The 

 previous oil industry was in Scotland, but the oil in this 

 case was not obtained from wells, but from the distillation 

 of oily shales which are found in that country. 



I,ong before Col. Potter struck the first oil well in 

 Pennsylvania, prospectors and oil men, mostly Americans, 

 were developing the Canadian fields. In fact, so great 

 was the yield of oil in this country that the United States 



