▁to ▁nearby ▁Black ▁Diam ond . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁W . ▁Stewart ▁Her ron , ▁a ▁ran cher ▁from ▁nearby ▁Ok ot oks , ▁gathered ▁invest ors ▁from ▁local ▁l umin aries ▁such ▁as ▁Senator ▁James ▁L oug he ed , ▁R . B . ▁Ben nett ▁and ▁A . E . ▁Cross . ▁Her ron ▁himself ▁lack ed ▁the ▁technical ▁expert ise ▁to ▁dr ill ▁Turner ▁Valley ' s ▁ ▁foss il - f uel ▁that ▁was ▁some ▁ 8 0 0 ▁meters ▁under ground . ▁Her ron ▁rec ru ited ▁dr illing ▁expert ▁Arch ib ald ▁D ing man , ▁a ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁American ▁veter an ▁from ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁On ▁May ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁A . W . ▁D ing man ▁struck ▁wet ▁natural ▁gas ▁- ▁which ▁produced ▁gas oline . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁the ▁main ▁buildings ▁burn ed ▁to ▁the ▁ground . ▁Her ron ' s ▁group ▁could ▁not ▁afford ▁to ▁re build ▁and ▁operate ▁the ▁site . ▁ ▁Imperial ▁O il ▁bought ▁Cal g ary ▁Pet role um ▁Product s , ▁created ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁- ▁Royal ite ▁O il ▁Co . ▁- ▁and ▁re built ▁the ▁plant . ▁ ▁The ▁plant ▁ceased ▁operations ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁encourag ement ▁of ▁a ▁local ▁group , ▁the ▁Turner ▁Valley ▁O il field ▁Society , ▁and ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁gas ▁plant , ▁the ▁Al