Southern Illinois has oil. . .much of it in wells that played out long ago but, now, the trend toward fracking has hit the old Illinois oil fields.

The remaining oil underground in southern Illinois is valuable again.  But, to get to the oil, you need the oil rights. . .and. for that you need to know who owns the land.

That brings in land agents, people who spend hours in the stacks at the county courthouse looking at land titles and deeds and birth and death records..

Hamilton, Saline and Wayne Counties are getting special attention.

Once the owner is found, oil leases can be offered.

The prize for the oilmen this time is new-found oil thanks to hydraulic fracturing. That’s a term shortened to “fracking” that involves blasting water, sand and chemicals into underground shale to free trapped oil and gas.

Not everybody approves.  Enviornmentalists say the chemicals being used pollute drinking water supplies.

The industry says there’s no proof to back that up.

- Bob Hamilton, KMOX News