Calgary & Southern Alberta

Dingman No. 1 Well
Courtesy of the Glenbow Collection

Born in Ontario, Herron received a practical introduction to the oil industry while working in the Pennsylvania oil fields. He eventually settled in Okotoks, Alberta, where he purchased a 900-acre ranch. Herron then established a cartage service that hauled coal from Black Diamond to Okotoks. During one of his hauls, Herron noticed gas seepage along Sheep Creek. He took samples from the seepage and sent one to the University of Pennsylvania and another to the University of California. The returned reports stated that petroleum gas existed in the sample. As a consequence, Herron acquired 700 acres of land in the Turner Valley area. In successive years, he continued to buy mineral leases from the Dominion government. Eventually, Herron owned 7,000 acres. After acquiring backing for future exploration in the area from A. W. Dingman, a Calgary businessman, and R. B. Bennett, a Calgary lawyer, Herron established the Calgary Petroleum Products Company in 1912. After drilling to a depth of 2,718 feet, the company struck gas on 14 May 1914. The naphtha recovered was pure enough to fuel automobiles. Although Royalite Ltd. took over Herron’s company in 1921, he re-established himself in the industry when he created the successful Okalta Oil Limited in 1925.