KENTUCKY, Oil and Gas Resources of. Petroleum, commonly called *Crude oil ,p was first discovered in Kentucky in 1819, in the val ley of the South Fork of the Cumberland River, close to the Tennessee line in what is now Mc Creary County, but was then Wayne County. The strike was made by Martin Beatty, of Abingdon, Va., while drilling a shallow well for salt. Cumberland County followed with a flow ing production from the Upper Ordovician rocks in 1829 and a few years later oil was found in the lower Coal Measures near Barbourville, Knox County. In the late 60's a wave of oil and gas prospecting spread over Kentucky, fol lowing the great depression caused by the Civil War. Allen, Barren, Clinton and many other counties joined the list of growing producers. During the latter part of the 19th century wells *ere drilled in every county in the State, and substantial, though small, new oil production came from deeper sands in Floyd, Knox and Wayne counties. Martin, Meade and Brecken ridge counties at the same time developed gas in commercial quantity. In 1900 the now nearly exhausted Ragland Field, in Bath and Rowan counties, producing black, thick, low gravity oil, was first drilled in, production coming from the or Onondaga limestone— the *Irvine sand" of the drillers—at the base of the Devonian system. The Sunnybrook pool of Wayne County was opened in 1901, the oil coming at a depth of 870 feet from the Missis sippian °sands' Deeper drilling in all the old fields above noted continued with varying success, the greater part of the oil being trans ported to the northeastern markets by the Cum berland pipe line. The Cannel City pool, in Morgan County, was discovered in 1912, and in 1913 this small field produced its maximum, 12,000 barrels of crude oil a month. This pro duction came from the same Onondaga lime stone and in large quantity was relatively short lived. In 1903 the Campton pool of Wolfe County was discovered, oil being found in the Onondaga limestone at about 1,250 feet. About 300 wells were drilled in this field with an aver.
age production of 50 barrels each. The widely known Menefee Gas Field was drilled in 1901, gas coming from the Onondaga limestone at an average depth of 600 feet. Small oil pro duction was obtained in Estill County, near Irvine, in 1903 at the time of the Campton ac tivity. Due to the extreme shallowness of the producing sands— the Onondaga limestone— this was soon drilled up and exhausted. Due to low prices and the corresponding decreasing active development, the years 1913, 1914 and 1915 saw a steady decrease of oil production for Kentucky. Increased prices due to war time demands restimulated activities and in 1916 the rediscovery of the Irvine pool a little to the east of the Irvine town site ushered in the present era of State-wide activity, greatly in creasing production. In Powell County the Ash ley pool in 1917; in Lee County, the Big Sink ing pool in 1918, and in Allen County, the Johnson pool of 1919, are the present centres of greatest activity, and there are probably 800 to 1,000 rigs now drilling in the State.
Kentucky crude sells for $2.60 per barrel, with the exception of the small Ragland pro duction. The oil is light green and has an average gravity from 32-40 Bourne. Practically all of the eastern Kentucky production is taken by the Cumberland Pipe Line Company, and the greater part of that of Allen County is taken in tank cars by the Indian Refining Com pany from Scottsville, where the present pipe line runs show about 10,000 barrels per week. The large plants of the Etna Refining Company, the Standard Oil Refining Company of Ken tucky and the Stoll Oil Company are located at Louisville. The total Kentucky oil production for 1919 is estimated at 7,500,000 barrels. Geo logically the accumulation of petroleum in Ken tucky is generally anticlinal below the top of the Mississippi system and synclinal above. Sand porosity is perhaps the greatest accom panying factor in the recently large developed fields. The geological range of production is from Ordovician to Pennington inclusive.