Releasing Gas Pressure, Home Oil Well, circa 1929.
This extremely dangerous procedure was employed to reduce high pressures at the wellhead. The slickers worn by the workers protect them from the "wet gas" (natural gas saturated with naphtha condensate) being released from the open valve. While this particular procedure was well supervised, many operations were not. Industrial accidents were common in the Turner Valley field, and fatalities occurred in the construction phase during blowouts, or when inexperienced or careless workers ignored safety precautions. Many workers' homes were potential firetraps because of poorly connected gas pipes and unregulated and unmetered gas lines feeding space heaters, stoves, and lights. Supplied at a fixed rate of four dollars per month, the gas was left to run with little caution and often calamitous results.
Courtesy: Glenbow-Alberta Institute, W.J. Oliver Collection (ND 8-445)
