1985-09-26 Thu Leaders of Business.pdf

County overall
leader in oil
By VICKI NAEGELE
Staff Writer
GAYLORD — Despite declines in oil production
in the county for the last four years,
Otsego County tops the state's list in total oil
production up to and including 1984.
Otsego County produced 69,827,949 barrels
of oil since state oil production began, according
to figures reported in Michigan's Oil &
Gas News.
The county's peak year was 1980 when
6,456,860 barrels were produced, slightly
above figures for 1981. Oil production has
continued to decline in Otsego County, with
a 1.4 million barrel reduction in annual production
from 1980 to 1984.
Otsego leads the second most prolific
county, Midland, by 1.3 million barrels
overall. Other leading producers through
1984 are Manistee and Hillsdale, both with
over 60 million barrels produced.
However, neither Midland or Hillsdale
county had reportable amounts of oil output
in 1984.
Overall state production figures were set
at over 963 million barrels of oil through
1984. State production peaked in 1979 with
34.7 million barrels of oil produced.
THE STATE experienced a 5 percent drop
in oil production in 1984, with 30.7 million
barrels pumped. Manistee topped the list of
oil producing counties with over six million
barrels.
Otsego County ranked second with just
over five million barrels. Two other counties,
Grand Traverse (3.8 million) and
Kalkaska (3.3 million) produced more than
one million barrels in 1984, and unlike
Manistee -and—Otsego counties, Grand
Traverse and Kalkaska's production rose in
i
1984.
Figures few natural gas production show
state production rose 5 percent in 1984 to
144,716,350 thousand cubic feet (Mcf).
Natural gas production in Otsego County
in 1984 was some 18.4 million Mcf, ranking
fourth in the state.
Last year was the best for natural gas production
in Otsego County, topping the
previous high of 16 million Mcf in 1978.
Manistee County was 1984's leading
natural gas producer in Michigan with 36.8
million Mcf, followed by Grand Traverse
and Kalkaska.
FIGURES for overall natural gas production
through 1984 show over 2.2 billion Mcf
produced across the state.
The top ranking county is Grand Traverse
where over 370 million Mcf have been tapped
through 1984. Otsego County's level of
nearly 150 million Mcf ranks it fifth behind
Kalkaska, Manistee and St. Clair counties.
The number of drilling permits issued in
Michigan in 1984 was at the highest level in
45 years with 1,194, up from 997 in 1983. During
the first six months of 1985, 507 new permits
were issued. Fifty permits have been
issued in Otsego County through June 30.
More state land will be open for oil and
gas exploration when the state holds its second
lease sale of the year in November.
Although more than half of the acreage
being offered is in Montmorency County, 810
acres in Otsego County will be available for
leasing.
Only 285 acres offered in the county are
development acres. The rest are
nondevelopment acres on which no drilling
4s allowed except with the approval of the
Natural Resources Commission.
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7
Oil, gas drilling
are mainstays
of area economy
Thursday, September 24, 19*5 HERALD TIMES 23B
No respite
in Wagar
car sales
GAYLORD — There was no respite at
Wagar Motors during the typically slow
months of August and September this year,
according to Tom Wagar.
"It's been just phenomenal," Wagar said.
"It's been so busy we can't even enjoy it —
but we do enjoy it."
Because of the low interest rates offered
on the 1985 models during the last two months,
he said Wagar Motors has moved out
nearly all of that year's models.
Wagar added that although sales figures
on General Motors vehicles are down this
year, business is generally up.
He said that Wagar Motors sees less fluctuation
in the market because the Gaylord
area is "insulated from the rest of the
world."
Wagar Motors, owned by Tom Wagar and
his father, Ford, employs about 15 people.
Ford Wagar bought the business in 1963.
Two other sons. Dan and Adam, are the
parts manager and used car manager,
respectively.
A clean-up shop was recently opened for
new and used cars and for customer's
vehicles.
Pontiacs, Buicks and GMC trucks are sold
at the business, as well as used cars and
"beaters."
Tom Wagar, who has been in the
automotive business for 19 of his 30 years,
said the 1986 models will arrive at the
dealership on Oct. 3.
One of the newly designed cars, the Buick
LeSabre, which is a scaled-down, frontwheel
drive model with a standard V-6
engine and gas mileage of about 3©mpg. will
be available in November.
Proud of Our Past...
Planning for
Our Future.
46 years of service to Otsego County"
•Title Insurance
•Abstracts
•Escrow Service
Otsego County
Abstract Company
120 E. Main
Gaylord 732-5765