Landmark Building
BATTERY 34
75 kilometres south west of Calgary, Turner Valley
Built in 1948
'); "Battery 34")
On this site, in August 1948, Royalite Oil Company of Turner Valley pioneered the water injection technique for the enhancement of oil recovery through the raising of underground pressure in old or otherwise weak producing pools. This location was the testing ground for the secondary method of oil recovery. When the well was drilled in 1948, a pure water aquifer gushed out of the four inch casing in order to tap this source for underground injection. By 1960, approximately 4.8 million barrels of water had been pumped into the petroleum reservoir through this “Battery”. Owned and operated by Western Decalta, the system is still in operation and is credited with assisting in the recovery of vast amounts of formerly uneconomic or unrecoverable oil.
The Landmark Buildings and Places Database draws on the series of walking and/or driving tour booklets produced by Alberta Culture (now Alberta Culture and Community Spirit). The Heritage Community Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ministry through permission to reprint these materials online. Extracted from Turner Valley District Driving Tour. Alberta Community Development and the Turner Valley Historical Society, 1993, with permission from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. Visit the Alberta Culture and Community Spirit for more information.