Production - Domestic - Oil and Gas Activity in Indiana in 1943

Oil and gas activities in Indiana during 1943 continued to decline at about the same rate as in 1942. New development, production, and prospecting, all showed the results of Federal regulation, low price for crude oil and shortages of labor and materials. Several local stripper-well operations were shut down, but no large-scale abandonment has occurred as yet. During the year, 277 holes were drilled for oil and/or gas, of which 99 were completed as oil wells, 19 as gas wells and 159 as dry holes. This record was a decline of 21 per cent over last year in the total number of completed tests, 20 per cent in the number of oil wells and 9.5 per cent in the number of gas wells. As in the previous year, most of the drilling (82 per cent) was in the southwestern part of the state, Gibson County ranking first, with 77 completions and 49 oil wells. Posey County was second, with 59 completions and 20 oil wells. The remaining 18 per cent of the drilling was in the old Trenton oil and gas area. The total footage drilled during the year was 482,799 ft., a decline of 18 per cent from the previous year. Of this, 146,559 ft. was wildcat footage. The total initial production of the oil wells completed was 6362 bbl. and of the gas wells was 2,562,000 cu. feet. Three tests in the old Trenton area were drilled into the Cambrian and reported nothing more than tar residue. A Devonian test was to be made in the Griffin field in the Wabash River but owing to the delay caused by Federal restrictions this test did not get started in 1943. It is expected to spud in March 1944. The new discoveries in 1943 were virtually all in the southwestern part of the state, and all, so far, one-well pools, except the North Owensville pool, in Gibson County. The latter was brought in during the month of February and by the end of the year nine wells were producing in the pool, with a reported initial yield of 1260 bbl. per day. By the end of the year it had a daily average production of 401 bbl. and an accumulated production of 39,129 bbl. The average gravity of the oil is reported to be 35.6. On the Ohio-Indiana state line, early in 1943, a new pool was opened up in the old Trenton area. The discovery well was on the Ohio side of the line. An offset well was completed on the Indiana side, with an initial yield of 64 bbl., and settled down to 5 bbl. per day. This well produced 1154 bbl. up to Dec. 31, 1943. There was no further development here, because of the Federal Conservation Order M-68, restricting drilling to one well on 40 acres. The development pattern usually followed in this area is one well to 5 acres. The E. Rogers field was extended by one pool (Table 4). Most of the development in the oil-field pools during the year took place in the Kirksville pool, in Gibson County, and the Caborn pool, in Posey County. The crude-oil production in 1943 was approximately 5,273,000 bbl., a decline of 29 per cent from the previous year. The Griffin field, of Gibson and Posey Counties,