Oil production in Kansas fell sharply last year. A new report from the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas showsoil production in the state dropped more than 8 percent in 2015. Rex Buchanan is the interim director of the Kansas Geological Survey.
Kansas saw a steady increase in oil production from 2006 to 2014, but all that changed last year. The average monthly oil price also fell to $39 per barrel in 2015. The year before, it was more than double that amount at $82 dollars per barrel. Buchanan says that affects the state's entire economy.
Last year's steep decline in production and oil prices has been hard on those who work in the industry as well as those who receive royalties from mineral rights.
Here's a list of the Top Ten Oil and Gas Producing Counties in Kansas. In a departure from years past, Harper County now leads the state in the production of petroleum.