The Fritzgerald Rig

Built in 1903, this is still the largest pumping rig in the world. It has been operating almost continuously for nearly a century. Initially, the rig was powered by steam. Later it used an internal combustion engine and finally, an electric motor. The rig takes its name from the man who erected it, Frederick Ardell Fitzgerald, the first president of Imperial Oil Ltd. Fitzgerald had owned this site and in 1921 Fred Hamlin bought it and operated 22 wells here. By 1972 only five wells were producing oil. Murray Bradley was the last private owner and sold the site to the Town of Petrolia. Today, 16 wells are producing 220 barrels of oil each month. Most wells here are approximately 148 metres (487 feet) deep. The deepest well ever drilled in Petrolia is about 149 metres (490 feet) and it's located on the southern border of Petrolia Discovery. In the Petrolia area, the rock which bears the oil is over 4 metres (14 feet) thick.

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or continue on to:

l Imperial Oil Display l Boom Town Display l Technology Display
l Petrolia's Foreign Drillers l Gum Bed l Cribbed Well
l Spring Pole l Canadian Rig l Drilling/Fishing Tools
l The Fairbank Well l Holding/Separating Tanks l Field Wheel
l The Fritzgerald Rig l Brine Disposal Well