KOGA: Who are we?

About the Association

The Kentucky Oil & Gas Association was formed in 1931 to represent the interests of Kentucky’s crude oil and natural gas industry, and more particularly, the independent crude oil and natural gas operators.

Our goals include promoting, protecting and advancing the interests of the oil and gas industry; opposing any unfair and unjust legislation which may adversely affect the oil and gas industry; and, disseminating reliable publicity to further and protect the oil and gas industry.

The Kentucky Oil & Gas Association is dedicated to the responsible production and conservation of Kentucky’s natural resources, while ensuring that its members are provided fair regulations, are educated on oil and gas issues, while protecting individual property rights, health, safety, and the environment.

History

A loosely-knit organization calling itself the “Kentucky Oil and Gas Association” had its early beginning in Eastern Kentucky in the late 1920s. An Oil Men’s Banquet held at the old Hotel Owensboro on November 21, 1929 was the beginning of a short-lived group who called themselves “The Western Kentucky Oil Men’s Association.” Articles of Incorporation were filed on December 2, 1929 but in a few months the Eastern Kentucky group asked that the Western Kentucky group join with them, and the Western Kentucky Oil Men’s Association’s Articles of Incorporation were amended to become a state-wide organization on August 12, 1930. This became the present Kentucky Oil and Gas Association.

In 1951, at the expiration of the original twenty year term of the 1931 Articles of Incorporation, KOGA adopted a new set of Articles. In 2012, KOGA undertook an extensive strategic planning process which resulted in a comprehensive revision of the bylaws which govern the organization today.

To this day, we feel KOGA lives up to its commitment from the 1951 Articles of Incorporation, which stated, “This Association is formed to obtain and disseminate to its members reliable information in regard to the oil and gas industry; to promote and advance the interests of the members in an impartial and businesslike manner in order to further the interests of its members; to take steps in regard to legislation as may be necessary to protect and advance the interests of its members and to disseminate reliable and trustworthy publicity.”

This has been its goal since its inception and continues to be its promise to its membership, not only in Kentucky but to KOGA members around the United States.

Our Industry

The Kentucky Oil & Gas Association was formed in 1931 to represent the interests of Kentucky’s crude oil and natural gas industry. Thirty-four (33) Kentucky counties reported active natural gas production in 2016 while sixty (63) counties reported oil production.

In 2016, Kentucky had 16,074 producing natural gas wells and produced over 3 million barrels of oil from 12,425 oil wells. Ninety-eight percent of the state’s natural gas production comes from eastern Kentucky counties while Henderson, Union, Lee and Leslie counties are the centers of oil production for Kentucky.

Over the past fourteen years (2002-2016) Pike, Floyd, Knott and Letcher counties have each produced over 100 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas. Over the same period six Kentucky counties – Henderson, Union, Lee, Leslie, Perry and Letcher –each produced over 1 million barrels of oil.

Thousands of Kentuckians are either salaried employees or proprietors in oil and gas and its support industries. In 2011, wage and salary employees made an average annual salary of $61,448 in Oil and Gas Extraction while the average annual salary for support industries was $50,014.

In 2016, Kentucky reported nearly 2.6 million barrels of oil production with a production value of $96.8 million and 163.2 BCFs of natural gas with a production value of $107.3 million. The industry also contributed nearly $10 million of severance taxes.

KOGA’s 2013 Economic Impact research revealed the oil and gas industry contributes over $1 billion in total economic impact to Kentucky’s economy.