Forest Oil's corporate logo, the "yellow dog" derrick lantern, provided the earliest source of light for night drilling. The double-wicked iron lamps had been hung on the yardarms of whaling ships where, filled with whale oil and set afire, they provided light for night hunting of the great sperm whale. With the discovery of crude oil in the country, the lanterns were adapted to the early drilling rigs, where they illuminated the first night drilling operations.

The "yellow dog" nickname describes the yellowish shadow resembling a dog's head cast by these lighted posts at night. The derrick lantern has from its earliest history symbolized progress and innovation, and was chosen as Forest Oil's symbol by its founders in 1916. The keystone shape in the center of the lantern symbolizes the state of Pennsylvania where oil was first discovered in the United States and where Forest Oil was founded.