Oil, gas output shows slight drop
By STU MERRY
BHG News
Oil and natural gas production in the county was down for March. That’s the word from McLean County Auditor Les Korgel. Still, county officials expect a productive year.
Output went from 126,858 barrels in February to 112,971 in March. Natural gas production fell from 94,744 thousand cubic feet in February to 87,676 MCF in March.
The change is due to some bad weather events and the drop in pricing. Still, production is strong, he told county commissioners at their meeting last week.
“At the rate we’re going we’ll be more than 1 million barrels produced in McLean County this year,” Korgel said.
No rigs are drilling in the county at this time. On a positive note, Korgel said several leases were renewed. One well was temporarily abandoned. Forty-six wells are producing product. There are 64 wells capable of producing oil in the county.
In other business at the meeting, Doug Stoltz with Falkirk Mine presented commissioners a request for a repetition. The request would be for a road closing, as the mine prepares for growth. A petition to operate within 100 feet of a road was also presented. The hearings on those requests will be at 10 a.m. and 10:15 a.m., June 20.
