It just ain’t like it used to be.

For the second half of the 20th century, oil and gas was a huge industry in northern Michigan, with certain geologic formations attracting the attention of major multinational companies who – along with smaller players – produced millions of barrels.

Now, production levels are a fraction of what they were in those glory days, particularly in the northern half of the state, and exploration activity is down to almost nothing.

Data shows the state hasn’t cracked 6 million barrels of oil per year in a decade, with many years north of 25 million in the 1970s and 1980s. Recent gas production is averaging less than a third of the boom days of the 1990s. There were just 19 new holes drilled in 2025, down from an average of 600-700 per year well into the 1990s.

“The bloom is definitely off the rose when it comes to oil and gas exploration in Michigan,” says Terry Beia, a longtime industry veteran who switched his focus to real estate years ago. “The basin is mature, the growth days in the Michigan patch are well behind us and the low-lying fruit has been picked.”

With most oil and gas that can be easily extracted long gone, almost all of the big players have left, leaving behind smaller outfits that mostly focus on so-called tertiary or enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques.

But the industry still employs thousands of people, particularly in supporting roles, and there are some exciting things going on with new technologies. Many landowners continue to receive important revenue from oil and gas leases.  And any number of these new technologies or discoveries could lead to another boom, particularly if supported by higher oil prices.

“One thing holds true in the history of the Michigan oil and gas patch,” Beia says. “Just when you think it’s over – it isn’t.”

You’ll hear oil and gas people repeatedly use the term “play,” which refers to a specific set of oil and gas fields or prospects. Michigan history is marked by booms in activity around the discovery and exploitation of these plays.

Though there were others, one of the biggest was the Niagaran reef play from the 1960s into the 1980s, producing millions and millions of barrels. And everyone still talks about the Antrim shale play, which dominated the late 1980s and 1990s and produced millions and millions more.

These plays attracted massive attention and generated considerable economic activity. Pat Gibson, CEO of Traverse City based West Bay Exploration Company, remembers the frenzy.

“When [West Bay] started in 1981, that was when the Niagaran reef play was really going on. Shell and Amoco were here, and they had offices down Grandview Parkway, and they had a lot of people here at that time,” he says. “It was Shell’s most economic play in the world, and they were putting a lot of resources into it.”

Save for a few spikes here and there, particularly when oil prices were higher, the major players left over the next several decades as resources were extracted and better opportunities presented themselves elsewhere. But oil and gas is still coming out of the ground here, and the industry supports many people throughout the region.

“Oil and gas still means a terrific amount. It’s not like it used to be, but there’s still a big impact,” says Rod Christopherson of Kalkaska-based Lambda Energy. “It still employs a lot of people in the area, whether it’s trucking, roustabout services, drilling services, maintenance services. It’s not the Shell boom or the Amoco boom of yesteryear, but there’s still a lot going on.”

Everyone who spoke for this story says that while the northern Michigan oil and gas scene is far from what it once was, that doesn’t mean it will be that way forever. But ultimately, with the low hanging fruit extracted, it will take a new process, concept (or discovery of more oil or gas) to set off another boom.

“There are a limited number of geologic formations that will produce oil and gas, and as of this minute, those have been identified and drilled,” Gibson says. “It takes that new idea or a new geologic formation, or a different way of approaching, a different way of drilling for it or exploring for it to bring things back. What changes the environment is when somebody thinks different.”

The money will always be there ready to fuel another northern Michigan oil and gas boom if the resources – or a new way of getting to them – can be clearly demonstrated, says Bob Mannes of Traverse City-based Core Energy.

“We’re not done,” he says. “There’s investment dollars out there, we just need good geologists to come up with good prospects.”

Mannes, who says “there’s always room for optimism” in the industry, points to it being a good time for anyone looking to enter the field.

“The workforce is aging, and there’s a huge opportunity for people that are curious about our business that are ambitious and that have some entrepreneurial spirit,” he says. “I’d say come on in, the water’s fun. These are good paying jobs, and you're making a product that people need.”

Editor's Note: This is a much-condensed version of a story that appears in the March issue of the Traverse City Business News (The Ticker's sister publication). Click here to subscribe or to see where you can find it on newsstands.