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Shell Oil Exploration Off the Coast of British Columbia

by John MacFarlane 2022

Scanlon

The Scanlon (Photo from the David Hoar collection.)

David Hoar rexcently sent me three interesting images from his days involved in the exploration for offshore oil on the coast of British Columbia. In 1965 he worked as the Canada Department of Fisheries official observer on the support vessel where the Scanlon was the shooting boat and the Miss Juanita the recording vessel. This exploration was very controversial and resulted in a ban on exploratory drilling for offshore oil. In 2018 the Canadian affiliate of one of the world's largest oil companies, Royal Dutch Shell, released 50,000 square kilometres of offshore exploration permits off the coast of British Columbia and promoting conservation.

The Scanlon was built in 1945 by Mckenzie Barge & Derrick Co. Ltd. at Vancouver BC as the C.N.A.V. Glenholme (later the Scanlon; then C.P. Yorke; then Trojan; then Glenholme.) 75.0’ x 18.6’ x 8.7’ (22.86m x 5.67m x 2.65m) wooden hull 97.46gt 23.94rt powered by a 400hp diesel by Enterprise Engine & Foundry Co., San Francisco CA USA. In 1953 she was repowered by 600hp Enterprise DMG8 diesel engine.

In 1945 she was owned by Royal Canadian Navy. In 1946 she was owned by McKenzie Barge & Derrick Co., Dollarton BC. In 1946 she was owned by Kingcome Navigation Co. Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1948–1949 she was owned by F.M. Yorke and Sons Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1953–1961 she was owned by Car Barge Towing, Vancouver BC. In 1962–1972 she was owned by F.M. Yorke and Sons Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1973 she was owned by Thorvald Larsen Vancouver BC. In 1974–1995 she was owned by Covey Enterprises, Duncan BC Canada. In 1996–1999 she was owned by Donald Lee Scagel, Gibsons BC. In 1999–2020 she was owned by Kasper Diving & Marine Services Ltd., Burnaby BC. In 2022 she was owned by Phaiboom Prodbamrung, Richmond BC Canada.

Cedarwood Scanlon

The Cedarwood,Scanlon and Miss Jaunita together in 1965 at Tofino B.C. (Photo from the David Hoar collection.)

The Miss Juanita was built in 1944 by the Stadium Yacht Basin at Cleveland Ohio USA as U.S.S. YMS–417 (later the U.S.S. Merganser and then Miss Juanita). 129.0’ x 24.6’ x 10.3’ (39.32m x 7.50m x 3.14m) wooden hull 317gt powered by 2–880hp 8–268A diesel engines by General Motors Corporation, Cleveland OH USA. Navsource.org states that "She was laid down 9 January 1944 at Stadium Yacht Basin, Cleveland, Ohio. She was launched 29 June 1944. Completed 10 November 1944 and commissioned U.S.S. YMS–417, 11 November 1944. Reclassified as a Motor Minesweeper, AMS–26, 17 February 1947 and named Merganser. Converted to a Coastal Minesweeper (Underwater Locator) and reclassified AMCU–47, 1 October 1954. Reclassified as a Coastal Minehunter, MHC-47, 7 February 1955. Decommissioned 2 April 1958 at San Diego, CA and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group. Struck from the Naval Register 1 May 1959. Sold for scrap 5 May 1960 to Hilburg and Trupin of Los Angeles, CA. Sold again in 1960 to an unknown buyer in the United Kingdom. Sold in 1971 to William F. Craig of Curtice, OH USA. Converted to a yacht and renamed Miss Juanita."

Shooting

The Scanlon detonating seismic charges for mapping seafloor for potential oil bearing deposits. (Photo from the David Hoar collection.)

The seismic survey were very intrusive and created a significant environmental impact. The ban on offshore exploration and drilling put into place at this time is still in effect.


To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John (2022) Shell Oil Exploration Off the Coast of British Columbia. Nauticapedia.ca 2022. http://nauticapedia.ca/Gallery/Shell_Oil.php

Nauticapedia

Site News: November 2, 2024

The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 94,538 vessel histories (with 16,140 images and 13,887 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters). The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,599 entries (with 3989 images). Vessel records are currently being reviewed and updated with more than 35,000 processed so far this year.

Thanks to contributor Mike Rydqvist McCammon for the hundreds of photos he has contributed to illustrate British Columbia's floating heritage.

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