May 14, 2023

You (or at least I) don’t usually think of Ohio as an oil-producing state, but I learned in putting together this post that Ohio ranks 13th in oil production in the country. Most of the oil is not in my county of Lorain. (See map and accompanying information.) Still, when I wander around the southeastern part of Lorain County, I often see what look like abandoned oil tanks and pumping rigs. Occasionally I find a pump that is still working.

1 I don’t know whether these pumps were working; they weren’t pumping when I took this and the next photograph last month.

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3 In 2014 I found this working one. Two more photos will show you it was pumping.

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6 Last year I found this holding tank and an accompanying natural-gas gizmo in Medina County, to the east of us. Natural gas and oil are frequently found in the same well.

7 Ah, but last month I found this cluster of oil tanks in a beautiful state of degradation.

8 Of course I had to go closer.

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16 I’ll be looking for more oil tanks the next time I wander around northern Ohio.