Nebraska's first documented exploratory test was in 1889 near Dannebrog (Howard County). About 75 dry holes were drilled from 1903-1939. Forest City Basin discoveries focused attention on southeastern Nebraska. In November 1939, the Pawnee Royalty Company #1 Boice (Richardson County) was completed in Hunton (Devonian) carbonate. Deeper reservoirs (Viola-Ordovician) were discovered but activity declined. The Ohio Oil #1 Mary Egging was completed in Dakota (Cretaceous) sandstones in June 1949 in the Nebraska Panhandle - the discovery for the multi-state Denver Basin.
In 1960, the Muffin #1 Barth (Red Willow County) was completed
in the Lansing-Kansas City (Pennsylvanian) limestone and the basal
Pennsylvanian sand to open the Sleepy Hollow Field in southwest
Nebraska. Activity reached an all time high in 1961; 1,022 tests
yielded 351 oil wells, 239 of these in southwest Nebraska. Economics
in the 1970's allowed several multi-well programs across the state
unfortunately no significant discoveries. Older Paleozoic, reservoirs
in siltstone and dolomite (Pennsylvanian and Permian) under the
Cretaceous Denver Basin -were discovered in 1980 by the Diamond
Shamrock #1 McMillan (Cheyenne County). Gas was discovered but
undeveloped in the Niobrara chalky shale (Cretaceous) east of
the Panhandle. As of January 1, 1998, 18,665 wells have been drilled
in Nebraska and cumulative production to that date was 478,132,429
barrels Creative exploration, technology, and economics could
again put the industry in Nebraska into a growth pattern.