Developments in Illinois and Indiana in 1947

In all, 2,727 wells were drilled for oil and gas in Illinois and Indiana in 1947 as compared with 2,870 in 1946, a decrease of 5 per cent. Total oil production decreased 11 per cent from 82,128,000 barrels in 1946 to 72,900,000 barrels in 1947. Wildcat drilling increased from 760 completions in 1946 to 792 completions in 1947. Forty-four new pools and approximately 76 extensions were discovered in the two states in 1947 as a result of wildcat drilling. The new production found in 1947 was almost entirely from Mississippian strata. Little deep drilling was done, and no major amounts of oil were produced from strata below the Mississippian. A "Trenton" pool, Woburn South, was discovered in Bond County, Illinois, which had six producing wells at the end of the year. Drilling is expected to continue in 1948 at nearly the same rate as in 1947.