Total oil production in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee in 1976 was 39 million bbl, the same as in 1975. In the 3 previous years the average annual decline was nearly 9%. The 12% decline in oil production in Tennessee and small declines in Indiana and Kentucky were offset by an 0.8% increase in oil production in Illinois. Gas production in Kentucky was 66.1 Bcf, up 5.2% from 1975. Gas production in the other 3 states is insignificant. A total of 3,087 oil and gas tests was drilled, up 26.3% from 1975. Exploratory tests totaled 981, up 13%; of these tests, 215 (21.9%) were successful.

Tennessee had 215 oil and gas tests in 1976, up 5.9% from 1975; exploratory tests were up 15.5%. Total footage drilled was 355,040, of which 275,120 was exploratory. Activity continued to be concentrated in Morgan, Scott, and Fentress Counties. Wildcat drilling increased in relatively untested parts of the Cumberland Plateau; most tests ended just below the Chattanooga Shale, but several tested the "Trenton" limestones. Several small Mississippian gas wells resulted; 15 new fields and 10 new pools were discovered. The most important discovery was Lick Branch field in Scott County with production from the Fort Payne. By year end, 13 wells had been completed, with initial production figures ranging from 120 to 570 BOPD. Recoverable reserves in Lick Branch should exceed 1 million bbl. A ew-field wildcat in Fentress County reached igneous basement rocks at 7,744 ft after penetrating 1,500 ft of pre-Knox Cambrian clastic rocks. Minor shows were reported from Mississippian and lower Knox carbonate rocks. Crude oil production in Tennessee in 1976 was 598,427 bbl, down 12% from 1975.

Illinois had 1,313 oil and gas tests in 1976, up 37.3% from 1975. Exploratory tests were down from 254 in 1975 to 247 in 1976. Total footage drilled in 1976, including service wells and structure tests, was 3,305,134 ft, up 33.6% from 1975. Seven oil fields, 6 successful new-pool wildcats, 6 deeper pools in fields, 11 shallower pools in fields, and 15 extensions to pools were discovered. The most significant development in 1976 was the drilling for Salem Limestone production; 106 Salem oil wells were completed in 20 fields in 10 counties, with most of the activity in Wayne and Clay Counties. Initial production figures averaged 67 BOPD, with a maximum of 500 BOPD. In Main Consolidated field in Crawford County, discovered in 1906, "Trenton" production was discovered in 1976. After fract re treatment, the discovery well flowed 270 BOPD. A deep test in Pope County in extreme southern Illinois broke the Illinois depth record; TD was 14,920 ft in the Cambrian. However, the well was unsuccessful and Pope County still has no production. Crude oil production in Illinois in 1976 was 26,272,000 bbl, up 0.8% from 1975. This reverses 14 years of decline in production.

In Indiana 486 oil and gas tests were drilled in 1976, compared with 374 in 1975. Exploratory tests increased from 156 in 1975 to 196 in 1976. Exploratory footage totaled 340,989. Successful exploratory tests included 3 new fields, 17 new-pool discoveries, and 13 extensions. New-pool discoveries were more significant than the new-field discoveries. In Beaman East field in Knox County, production was discovered in oolitic breaks in the Ste. Genevieve Limestone. The discovery well had initial production of 308 BOPD. Entrapment is essentially stratigraphic. The completion in 1976 of a well in the St. Louis Limestone at the huge Union-Bowman Consolidated field in Gibson County, quite far removed from other St. Louis production in the field, is significant because it indicates potential de per production over a wide area in Gibson County. A well also was completed in the Salem Limestone in this field in 1976. In Owensville North Consolidated field, about 15 mi southwest of Union-Bowman Consolidated field, considerable development drilling occurred in 1976. About 0.5 million bbl of new recoverable oil is projected from the St. Louis and Salem Limestones in the field. Oil production in Indiana was estimated at 4,575,000 bbl, down about 57,000 bbl from 1975.

In Kentucky 1,094 wells were drilled in 1976, up from 1,011 in 1975. They included 373 exploratory wells (up 18.4%), 700 development wells (up 17.3%), and 21 miscellaneous wells. Exploratory wells were 24.4% successful and development wells, 61.6%. Successful exploratory tests included 11 new field, 10 new-pool wildcats, 10 deeper pool tests, 20 shallower pool tests, and 40 extensions. Continued search for Lower Mississippian productive areas in western Kentucky, particularly in Daviess, Ohio, and McLean Counties, generally has been unrewarding, although a little additional oil and gas are being developed in Daviess County. Many of the Fort Payne and Warsaw tests have been plugged back to produce from Chester (Mississippian) formations. Green County had a resurgence of drilling as a r sult of Knox production in Pickett Consolidated field; also many shallower Ordovician pays were discovered. Cumberland County was a close second with most drilling occurring in Grider North field, where Knox and shallower Ordovician strata proved productive. Several gas wells, including exploratory successes, were drilled in eastern Kentucky. A development well in Knott County had an IP of 14,470 MCFGD from the Big Lime. In Knox County, an extension well was completed for 6,500 MCFGD, and in Bell County 2 wells completed in 1976, but not reported until 1977, had initial production of 9,000 MCFGD and 32,000 MCFGD, respectively, from the Big Lime. A dry Precambrian test was drilled to a TD of 12,323 ft in Wolfe County. Oil production in Kentucky in 1976 was 7,483,000 bbl, down 73,000 bbl f om 1975.

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