The International Drillers (known historically as the Foreign Drillers) is the name given to the more than 500
drillers from
Lambton County who worked in oil fields across the world between December 1873 to the mid-1940s.
Many of the International Drillers grew up learning the oil business in
Enniskillen County and provided the skilled labour, expertise and technology necessary for the development of the
global petroleum industry.
Overview
By the mid-1870s, approximately fifteen years of oil production in Enniskillen County created a highly specialized workforce of drillers, but as the oil boom died down, many of the experienced drillers were left without employment.
Several wells petered out, and there were few new discoveries.
With Lambton County's oil business beginning to falter compared to the
United States, whose drillers were busy drilling domestic fields, Oil exploration companies were directed to Oil Springs and Petrolia in their search for drillers to send overseas.
Between December 1873 to the mid-1940s, over 500 drillers from Lambton County brought Canadian expertise and equipment to 87 countries and played key roles in finding and developing oil fields in
Asia,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
Africa,
Europe, the
Middle East and
South America.
As International Drillers' brought the tools and technology from Lambton County abroad, the Canadian pole-tool system of drilling was employed in oil fields across the globe from the 1870s to the 1940s.
The first group of International Drillers travelled to
Java in December 1873 amid an
economic depression
An economic depression is a period of carried long-term economical downturn that is result of lowered economic activity in one major or more national economies. Economic depression maybe related to one specific country were there is some economic ...
sparked by the
Panic of 1873.
Typically, International Drillers grew up learning the oil trade locally and signed contracts of one, three or five years in duration. The ''Petrolia Advertiser and Petrolia Topic,'' later merged as the ''Petrolia Advertiser-Topic'' in 1917, frequently published letters of the International Drillers exploits overseas. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the International Drillers often travelled without their wives and children.
As a result, they would usually only see their family when at home for a few months between assignments.
The long periods of separation often strained familial relationships.
Beginning in the late 1910s, it became more common for wives and children to join the drillers overseas.
On average, International Drillers earned higher wages than local drillers in Lambton County, and the International Companies they worked for often paid for travel and lodging expenses. The local economies of Petrolia and Oil Springs benefitted from the income the International Drillers brought in and local manufactures like Petrolia's Oil Well Supply Company produced the drilling tools and rigs Canadians utilized abroad.
The employment abroad also resulted in many International Drillers advancing into the ranks of the middle class.
A few International Drillers became extraordinarily wealthy and never returned to Lambton County.
Legacy
In 1917, Historian Victor Ross claimed that the International Drillers from Lambton County had a vital impact on the development of the
global oil industry:
A hill overlooking
Miri, Malaysia, is named "Canada Hill" in honour of Charles McAlpine, who drilled the first oil well in Borneo.
In
Oil Springs, Fairbank Oil's Nature Trail includes an art exhibit dedicated to the International Drillers.
Each hand-carved sign represents a country the Foreign Drillers travelled to and each pole represents a content.
Artist Geri Binks crafted the exhibit.
Notable drillers
William Henry McGarvey
William Henry McGarvey (November 1843 – November 1914) was a Canadian business magnate, entrepreneur and politician. McGarvey is best known for his exploits in Galicia, where he operated a highly successful petroleum company. McGarvey was on ...
(November 1843 – November 1914) Operated a highly successful petroleum company in
Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
and became a multimillionaire before the outbreak of
World War I.
Charles Wallen
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...
(1874-1921) Traveled around the world managing oil fields. Most notable for his and his family's escape from
Russia in 1917.
See also
*
Driller (oil)
References
Petroleum production
Oilfield terminology
Resource extraction occupations
{{job-stub