Good evening folks.
I think I will continue on with a little more history. I'm almost to the end so I will break this last few segments up and then finish off the month with pictures and posts from other people(hopefully).
In 1963, B/A was drilling a well north of Swift Current Saskatchewan and hit a huge volume of Helium, and formed an equal partnership with the British Oxygen Company of England and L'air Liquide of France to form Canadian Helium Ltd.
On a side note to this, I grew up about 30 miles north of this Helium plant and we would drive by it everytime we went into Swift Current. The plant shut down somewhere around 1971,1972,or 1973, I can't remember the exact date, and became a scrap metal salvage yard, the last time I went past there, about 6 to 8 years ago it still was a salvage yard and the original building was still in use. Another interesting note, is that a picture and short write up was in the Canadian schools high school Social Studies text books, in the mid to late '70's, not sure if it is still in them. Any of you Northern people around my age remember that?? I think grade 9 or 10 text books.
In 1964, B/A bought 96% of the Royalite Oil Company shares with over 700 stations and bulk outlets.
B/A also opened a Research and Development facility near Toronto.
E.D. Loughney stepped down to Sr. Vice-President of Gulf Oil and Charles Hay, former President of Royalite became the last B/A President.
Gulf Oil Corp. had now aquired 64.8% of the outstanding shares of B/A.
In 1966, the Anglo-Canadian name was phased out. B/A sold it's U.S. subsidiaries to the Chared Corp. of Dallas, Texas which Gulf Oil gained these assets for $86.1 million.
Next time, I will finish off the history lesson, in the mean time I will post a few pictures.
Ken.