Oil and gas production in the Wabash River Valley in southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana is from lower Pennsylvanian and Chester sandstones and the McClosky limestone of the Ste. Genevieve formation. The principal fields in the area are New Harmony Consolidated and Keensburg Consolidated. These fields include an

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almost continuous producing area from Keensburg, Wabash County, at the north, to a point 3½ miles southeast of Phillipstown, White County. This single area is approximately 18 miles long and varies in width from ½ mile to more than 2 miles at its widest point in White County. As of January 1, 1942, there were almost 1,000 producing wells in the two fields and the productive area proved by drilling was 7,238 acres.

All of the eight Chester sandstone formations and additional sandstone beds in other Chester formations were found productive in one place or another throughout the area. Considerable lateral variation in thickness and character of the "sands" was indicated by drilling. In many cases it was so great that it made the development of a particular sandstone uncertain from well to well. The lenticular character of producing "sands" resulted in irregular producing areas. The producing areas of the different "sands" may or may not be directly over or under each other. Many wells in the area are producing from more than one "sand."

Distribution of productive areas depends more on sand characteristics than structure in the lower Wabash River area.

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