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• Comment: Subject of article is unclear. Shadow311 (talk) 00:06, 12 November 2024 (UTC)

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Petroleum Crucifix

Drilling Rig and Doghouse in front of Moose Crossing sign along Alberta Highway 2A

Queen Elizabeth Highway 2 Drilling rig.

This particular drilling rig is located on the side of Queen Elizabeth Alberta Highway 2A and serves as a tribute to oilpatch workers in Alberta and around the world. It is a framework of a derrick similar to that of capital city of Alberta's monument located in Edmonton. It runs along the borderline of Blackfalds Lacombe County and Red Deer on a private sanction of land. The first original rig was put up in 1993 and smashed while the owner Bob McMurray was working on it. He had decided to give the rig controls a little shake to see if it would hold up. He replaced the mangled derrick with another rig that had been abandoned near a town called Raven. The farmer had paid $800 at auction for the derrick, a big triple, with plans to use it for scrap metal, The McMurray family then sought out to buy a new rig and Bob managed to find one for 5800$ from a farmer who said he needed 5000$ profit in order to sell. Bob then erected the derrick where the old one used to be. Years later an oil company in southern USA made Twin Rock an offer of 240, 000$ a sum of money that they couldn't refuse and hauled off the rig off leaving a gaping hole in the landscape. So a family friend Lawrence Heck offered to give the family an old double that had been lying the the grass out behind his shop so it was put up as a celebration of Bobs life and decorated with the words MERRY CHRISTMAS it has been dubbed with nickname "Petroleum Crucifix". a name is derived from drilling rigs relation to the petroleum industry in celebration of Christmas and has been a local attraction for around 30 years. There was a log book in the derrick that visitors were able to sign and date when passing through. Twin Rock Holdings aka Hard Rock Resources is a sister company of Jo Max Drilling. These companies provide ground breaking technology that makes it possible for companies like Esso, Shell and, Husky to buy and sell oil and gas products.

Holiday Traditions

Petroleum Crucifix oil derrick decorated and lit up for the holidays

Drilling rigs are used as the framework for a means to run metal pipe into the ground and extract oil and gas that people use in everyday life to fuel engines as well as machines by potential energy of chemicals. The rig borders Blackfalds and is divided by a body of water known as the Blindman River which flows into the Red Deer River. Twin Rock is a local collective of oil felid workers and family orientated business that works as a the Jack of all trades for the Alberta economy and is located along Alberta Highway 2

Further Readings

For further readings see a List of crossings of the Red Deer River. The North Highway Connector is a bridge crossing over the Red Deer river that will drastically change the dynamic of the city as there will be an onflow of traffic from the south side to the north onwards to Sylvan Lake. Strategic animal hunting patterns as noted by zoologists and scientists who study ecosystems are able to somewhat predict how coyotes and wolves manipulate their prey when hunting. Bridges are a noted access point for predators to ambush their prey when on the hunt for food. It provides viable access vantage point to blindside prey when leading them in a heard to a particular location. This new bridge crossing provides a vantage point along Range Road 275 across a bridge commonly referred to as "Red Bridge" that is vantage point to cross the Blindman River and is privatley owned by Twin Rock. There is a large sign that reads No Trespassing where the bridge was put into place that discourages members of the public to cross the roadway. However after the new bridge crossing is put into place there is bound to be a lot more traffic action in that area and the city of Red Deer and the County of Lacombe may have to implement changes the roadway such as paving the road and twinning the bridge or removing the bridge completely.

History

Bob McMurray decorates drilling rig for the holiday season

Bob McMurray was born in Stettler in 1929 and he raised five sons. They grew up living in Africa as Bob worked overseas with the company Shell until 1977 when Bob moved back to Alberta. The quickly expanding family started Twin Rock Holdings and they built their dream home on the Blindman River in 1968. Bob then later worked in the oilpatch where he spent many years toolpushing for Cantex Drilling. After many trials and tribulations in farming he erected a monument for the oil patch and decorated it for the holidays. One of his favorite condiments and inspirations for Petroleum Crucifix was Crazy Jane's Mixed Up Salt one salt brand that has a red and green lettering logo that the family still swears by today.

The Raven

Twin Rock unveils logo with bird on it

In 2024 the boys at Twin Rock came across a domestic Raven with a wounded wing and managed to partially tame him. He lives in the doghouse at the base of the rig and seems happy to feed of frogs, gophers, snakes, fieldmice, and what ever else Ravens eat. Rumor has it there has been countless attempts to catch the Raven to give it medical care but he has evaded and escaped every time. The employees of Twin Rock enjoy the pleasure of the Ravens company and like to play games with him.

References

https://www.producer.com/farmliving/family-decorates-oil-rig-for-christmas/