RK Petroleum Corp. was founded in 1956 in Mount Carmel, Illinois. Since that time, we have grown into one of the one hundred largest oil producers in Texas maintaining operations across the continental United States.
We have a large presence in the Permian Basin and Illinois Basin and hold a continued interest in the exploration of oil and natural gas reserves around the world. Using our core principles of honesty, reliability, and dedication and our commitment to excellence we have developed a rich past and an exciting future.
CORPORATE HISTORY
R.W. Kuzmich, the first graduate of the University of Notre Dame to hold a geology degree, incorporated RK Petroleum Corp. on April 1, 1956 in the state of Illinois. RK’s corporate holdings at the time were limited to one 3,500 foot drilling rig valued at approximately forty thousand dollars. The company’s initial mission was to explore and develop oil and gas properties in the Illinois Basin. However, from these modest beginnings, RK discovered and developed more and more commercial wells and began to expand into other potential producing areas, including plays in Ohio, New York, Michigan and Florida. By the end of 1969, RK had drilled 546 wells across the continental United States, completing 158 as producers for an initial success ratio of 30%.
In 1968 RK began exploring the western Permian Basin in New Mexico eventually moving into Texas and the rich Spraberry Trend. In the following years, RK grew increasingly active in the Permian Basin opening a second office in Midland, Texas in the early 1970s. This office was headed by Jack McIntosh, a geologist who had been with RK since its earliest days. This second office would soon become the base of operations for RK and without the pioneering spirit of the founding members of this office, Jack McIntosh and Thomas Kuzmich, RK would never have gained the critical foothold in Texas necessary for its future growth.
While starting in Texas, RK maintained an active presence in Illinois, winning the Illinois Oil and Gas Association’s prestigious Wildcatter of the Year award in 1972, the first year the award was given (They would win again in 2005). With the success in Illinois and Texas, the early to mid seventies were a time of accomplishment for RK, spurred by the diligent work of RK’s staff, such as Jack McIntosh and Gilbert Glick and many others no longer with us.
In 1975, RK Petroleum completed its G.T. Hall #1 well in Martin County, Texas. The well was the discovery well for the massive RK Devonian Field and launched RK from small independent to one of the top fifty Texas oil producers (a status held through 1996, Texas Business, Jan/Feb, 1996). To date, RK has drilled over 1,700 wells nationwide and has discovered produced or has on reserve over 50 million barrels of oil and 140 billion cubic feet of gas.
RK Petroleum is an industry vanguard for stability, reputation, and endurance, having maintained continuous operations for 53 years. However, despite the success, RK never strayed far from its roots as a small independent oil and gas company in the Illinois Basin. The company is still family owned and operated and believes that the same core principles of honesty, reliability, and dedication that make a good family apply equally to the business world.
Currently, RK Petroleum Corp. is actively exploring for oil in Texas, Illinois, and Indiana. In 2008, RK Petroleum Corp. drilled or participated in over twenty-five wells, many completed as successful producers.