Atlantic 1948 no.3

In 1948, Alberta's oil industry made international headlines when Atlantic No. 3, a well near the famed Leduc No. 1 site, erupted in a dramatic blowout. The gusher, pressurized by 15 million cubic feet of gas per day, spewed oil 150 feet into the air and ran wild for months, releasing over a million barrels. On September 6, a spark ignited the uncontrolled flow, triggering a towering inferno visible for over 100 miles. Legendary firefighters Myron Kinley and Red Adair eventually brought the blaze under control.


In Atlantic No. 3, oil-patch historian Aubrey Kerr—Imperial Oil’s district geologist at the time of the 1948 blowout—provides a firsthand account of the event that helped shape Alberta’s oil industry.