Kentucky 1999 Oil Production

Contact: Carrie Pulliam

In 1999, oil production fell 6.5 percent from the previous year to 2.81 million barrels. More than $1.9 million in severance tax was collected on oil valued at $43 million. Western Kentucky produced 51 percent of Kentucky's oil. Union (western) ranked first among 56 counties with reported oil production. Leslie County of eastern Kentucky ranked second. Overall, eastern Kentucky accounted for 38 percent of Kentucky's oil production. Production from central Kentucky accounted for only 11 percent of the statewide production. The top five oil-producing counties (Union, Leslie, Henderson, Lee, and Perry) produced 56 percent of the oil reported for the state.

Oil production data is available as a statewide total from 1883 to 1918. Beginning in 1919, monthly production data is available by county. A county and regional summary of cumulative oil production data grouped by major producing zones is available. Since historic oil production data by well is not available, the report uses a proxy to estimate the percentage of oil produced from each zone. The proxy uses the Kentucky oil and gas well record database and is based on the number of oil pays reported in a county for a specified zone.

Oil and gas production data reported here are based on information received by the Survey from the Severance Tax Division of the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet. These monthly oil and gas production data by county are proprietary and are expected to be released in January 2001. Data for some individual wells are available at the Kentucky Division of Oil and Gas Web site.