Learn About Oil & Gas Production

Texas regulation

How to Apply for a Drilling Permit in Texas

You cannot drill an oil or gas well in Texas without a permit. That permit comes from the Texas Railroad Commission. The permit process exists to protect groundwater, mineral owners, and the public. I…

May 13, 2026 Read More

New Mexico regulation

What Is New Mexico's Oil Conservation Division?

New Mexico has become one of the most important oil-producing states in America. Managing all of that oil activity is the job of the Oil Conservation Division, or OCD. The OCD is the state agency that…

May 6, 2026 Read More

Oklahoma basin

The Anadarko Basin: Oklahoma's Energy Heart

Western Oklahoma sits on top of one of the most remarkable oil and gas basins in America. The Anadarko Basin stretches from central Oklahoma westward into the Texas Panhandle. It is ancient — some of …

Apr 29, 2026 Read More

Texas production

How to Read Oil Production Reports from the Texas Railroad Commission

The Texas Railroad Commission publishes oil and gas production data for every well in the state every month. This data is free and public. It tells you exactly how much oil each well produced, who ope…

Apr 22, 2026 Read More

Colorado basin

The DJ Basin and Niobrara Shale: Colorado's Oil Engine

If you want to understand Colorado oil, you need to understand one basin: the Denver-Julesburg Basin, or DJ Basin. This is where almost all of Colorado's oil comes from. The DJ Basin is a relatively q…

Apr 15, 2026 Read More

Colorado regulation

What Is the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission?

Colorado has a lot of oil and gas. And it has a detailed set of rules about how that oil and gas gets produced. The agency in charge of those rules is the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission …

Apr 8, 2026 Read More

Colorado production

Colorado Oil Production: The DJ Basin and Wattenberg Field

Colorado may not be the first state that comes to mind when you think about oil. But it is a significant producer. The state pumps about 400,000 barrels of oil every day. Most of that comes from a sin…

Apr 1, 2026 Read More

Illinois production

Illinois Oil Production and the Illinois Basin

Illinois has been producing oil longer than almost any other state. The first commercial oil well in Illinois was completed in 1853 — six years before Edwin Drake's famous Pennsylvania well. Over the …

Mar 29, 2026 Read More

Arkansas production

Arkansas Oil and Gas: Fayetteville Shale and the AOGC

Arkansas may not be one of the first states people think of for oil and gas, but it has a productive energy industry and one of the most important shale gas plays in the country. The state straddles t…

Mar 28, 2026 Read More

Mississippi production

Mississippi Oil Production and the State Oil and Gas Board

Mississippi has been producing oil since 1939, when the Tinsley Field was discovered in the central part of the state. For decades, Mississippi was a significant oil producer in the Gulf Coast region.…

Mar 27, 2026 Read More

Michigan production

Michigan Oil and Gas Production and EGLE

Michigan is not usually listed alongside Texas or North Dakota when people talk about oil states, but it has been producing oil and gas for over a century. The state has unique geology that includes b…

Mar 26, 2026 Read More

North Dakota basin

The Bakken Formation: North Dakota's Oil Powerhouse

The Bakken Formation is a rock layer that sits deep underground in North Dakota, Montana, and Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the engine behind one of the biggest oil booms in American history. The Bakken…

Mar 25, 2026 Read More