Graphic from Illinois Petroleum Resources Board.
Oil production in the Illinois basin dropped 8.9-percent in 2020, with Marion County maintaining its position as the 2nd highest oil-producing county in the state.
The Illinois Petroleum Resources Board reported total oil production at 7,513,835 barrels last year. Marion County produced 815,213 barrels, well behind number one producing White County with 2,206,100 barrels.
Executive Director Seth Whitehead expects production to rebound in 2021.
“The decline we saw this year was mostly attributable to the pandemic and decline in demand and oil price. I would expect production to bounce back pretty strongly next year. Prior to the pandemic, it was holding pretty steady in the 8-9 million barrel a year range.”
Whitehead said the only major new oil field development has been in White County, which despite the pandemic, saw its production increase 7.6-percent.
He feels 2021 will be a better year.
“I believe it was April last year production was down about 50% and that is when prices briefly went negative and went really low most of the spring. That is where the bulk of the declines that happened this year occurred in the spring and fortunately, production levels have returned to normal levels.”
Fayette County is the fifth-highest producing county at 461,491 barrels, Clay County is seventh at 275,669 barrels, Wayne County eighth at 281,495 barrels, and Jefferson County 15th with 135,954 barrels of production.
