1 West Bay Exploration Co. is planning to drill a Trenton oil well in Waterloo Field in Monroe County, Ill. The Monroe County venture, #2-31 Ransom Trust, will be in Section 31-2s-9w, with a proposed total depth of 1,000 ft. About a mile southeast, the Traverse City, Mich.-based company is under way at #1-6 Ransom Trust, also permitted to 1,000 ft. The wildcat is in Section 6-3s-9w. Trenton oil production in Waterloo Field is about three miles northwest of the proposed #2-31 Ransom Trust. One of the wells in the field, #1 Gibault High School, was drilled in 1981 to 490 ft. It flowed 5 bbl. of oil per day from an openhole Trenton zone at 480 to 490 ft. Waterloo Field is the only reservoir in this part of Illinois.

2 A deeper-pool test in Eagarville East Field has been staked by Chester, Ill.-based Ebers Drilling Co. in a Macoupin County reservoir in Section 21-8n-6w in Illinois. The #4 Gipson Community has a planned total depth of 1,800 ft.; the well is targeting oil pays in Devonian. An offset is planned to the north in Eagarville Field at #4 Gipson. The #1 James Gipson by Gas Oil & Land Developers pumped 4 bbl. of crude per day through an openhole Pennsylvanian zone at 560-585 ft. Total depth is 585 ft. Numerous other Pennsylvanian wells in the field are about a mile north and southeast of Ebers Drilling's proposed deeper test. Pennsylvanian production from Eagarville East Field was first reported in 1980.

3 RK Petroleum Corp. plans to drill a Devonian wildcat in northwestern Wayne County, Ill. According to IHS Inc., #1 Smith-Edgington Comm, in Section 33-2n-5e, has a planned depth of 5,000 ft. About a half-mile west is #1 RH Burgess, a 3,156-ft. wildcat that was abandoned in 1950, although some shows of oil were encountered. The top of McClosky was logged at 3,045 ft. The nearest oil production in this part of Wayne County is two miles east in Zenith Field. The last well drilled in Zenith Field was completed in 1993. It was #2 Turner in Section 36, which tested pumping an unreported amount of crude from McClosky at 3,024-28 ft. The well was drilled to 3,175 ft. RK Petroleum is based in Midland, Texas.

4 According to IHS Inc., Nichols Operating LLC completed a horizontal oil well in Illinois' Sailor Springs East Field, a large reservoir that first produced in 1944. The Clay County venture, #2 HOR-33 Rinnert-Bangert, was tested flowing 413 bbl. of crude and 1,000 bbl. of water per day through an open-hole Cypress zone at 3,042-3,556 ft. The well is in Section 33-4n-8e and bottomed about a quarter mile to the north beneath the same section. It was drilled to 3,556 ft. with a true vertical depth of 2,702 ft. The company's venture is the first horizontal completion in the reservoir. Nichols Operating is based in Fort Branch, Ind.

5 In Ab Lake West Field in Gallatin County, Ill., Bi-Petro Inc. plans to drill a deeper-pool wildcat. The #1 Shawneetown North is a planned 3,900-ft. venture and targets deeper Warsaw pay in Section 32-8s-10e. The shallower oil wells in Ab Lake West Field came online in 1950. Wells in the reservoir produce through Pennsylvanian at around 725 ft. as well as from six Mississippian pays (Waltersburg) at 2,020 ft. and McClosky at 2,830 ft. About one mile northeast of #1 Shawneetown North is an Inman East Consolidated Field wildcat permitted in 2013 by Pioneer Oil Co. The #5-33 Rollman, which also targets Warsaw, has a planned total depth of 3,900 ft. and is in Section 33-8s-10e. Bi-Petro's headquarters are in Springfield, Ill.

6 Riverside Petroleum Indiana LLC is drilling a 3,750-ft. wildcat in Daviess County, Ind. The exploratory test, #29-A3 Myers, is a deeper-pool test in Capehart Field and targets Trenton. The vertical well is in Section 29-4n-7w. Oil production in Capehart Field began in 1981 and several wells in the area surrounding Riverside's new location reached total depths of 1,074-1,165 ft. with McClosky targets. To the north, the Traverse City, Mich.-based company has also planned a Devonian well, #17-B3 Summers in Section 17-4n-7w. Permitted in mid-2013, its proposed total depth is 2,200 ft. Another 1.75 miles north, in Section 8, is the company's #8-A4 Summers, also slated to reach 2,200 ft. in Devonian.

7 A directional wildcat by JL Resources in Choctaw County, Ala., is waiting on completion tools. The #1 Bar L LLC 6-3 reached a total depth of 11,150 ft. The directional venture is in Section 6-11n-4w. A half-mile east is another directional Smackover test at #1 Loblolly Ridge 6-1. This venture was drilled to 10,831 ft. in Smack-over. The expected oil producer has been perforated at 10,584-95 ft. Additional details are not available. If it is brought online, #1 Loblolly Ridge 6-1 will reestablish Smackover oil production in the reservoir. JL Resources is based in San Antonio.

8 In Gratiot County, Mich., Amplify Development LLC plans to drill a 3,550-ft. Dundee lime wildcat. The venture, #1-2 Cary, is in Section 2-11n-4w. The proposed well is along the edge of Sumner Field, which produces from shallower pays. One of the nearby wells in Sumner Field, the 2,837-ft. #2-A MA Potter, in Section 11, was tested in 1959 through an open-hole Traverse zone at 2,836-37 ft. Deeper Dundee lime production in Pine River Field is about three miles northeast.

9 Rockford, Mich.-based Trendwell Energy has scheduled more drilling in Lenawee County, Mich. The #9-D3 Mattek has a planned depth of 3,100 ft. and targets Trenton/ Black River in Section 9-8s-5e. A 3,060-ft. wildcat, #5- B1 Iott, in Section 5-9s-5e, was abandoned in May 2012 in Prairie du Chien. Savoy Energy LP has completed several oil wells in the area. Savoy is drilling a well in Lucas County, Ohio, and intends to expand Trenton/Black River oil production in the county. Its #1-5 Shull was spudded in August and Savoy was last reported active at 1,890 ft. at the proposed 3,075-ft. wildcat.

10 Whiting Oil & Gas Corp. plans to drill a 10,184-ft. A-1 Carbonate exploratory test, #11-7 HD1 State Wheatland & Reinelt, in Sanilac County, Mich. According to a permit application, the horizontal exploratory test by the Denver-based company will have a 6,400-ft. vertical pilot hole in Section 7-13n-14e, with a horizontal leg to be drilled to the north beneath Section 7. The proposed bottomhole offsets a vertical test drilled in 1961 at #1 Bertha Zielinski that was abandoned at 6,270 ft. in Niagaran. Fewer than 150 tests have been drilled in Michigan's Sanilac County.

11 In Champaign County, Ohio, West Bay Exploration Co. has staked a 2,400-ft. wildcat. The #1-7822 Champaign Blazer is targeting Glenwood pay. There is no oil and gas production in the county. Nearby drilling is about four miles west at a 1964 well, #1 Triad School District. It was abandoned at 2,085 ft. in Trempealeau. Three miles further northwest is a 2,244-ft. wildcat, #1 Mearl Crowder, which was abandoned in Knox in 1980. About two miles west, #1 Hoffman was abandoned in 1978 at 3,318 ft. Site log tops included Trenton, at 1,628 ft.; Black River, 1,752 ft.; Glenwood, 2,148 ft.; Eau Claire, 2,876 ft.; and Mount Simon, 3,143 ft.

All data in the Exploration Highlights section is based on sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The prudent investor intending to act upon any particular data is urged to verify it with all other available sources. In no way should the publication of these items be construed as an express or implied endorsement of a company or its activities.

Most land in the U.S. is divided into townships—rectangular tracts six miles square. The township, in turn, is divided into 36 numbered sections, each a one-mile square. The lines running north-south and dividing east from west are called range lines. The lines running east-west and dividing north from south are township lines.

A well in Section 15-Township 4 north-Range 3 east is abbreviated: 15-4n-3e.