The Independent Oil & Gas Service History

The Independent publishes the Independent Oil & Gas Service Red Top oil reports which are highly respected in the Kansas oil and gas industry, providing accurate and timely news on drilling activity in the state.

Founded in 1947 by the late John H. Morrison, Sr. (1913-1984),the IOG remains the state’s only "independent" oil and gas news service, offering daily, weekly and monthly drilling reports, well scout cards, and the Independent Oil & Gas Directory of Kansas.

John, Sr. graduated with Cum Laude honors from the University of Kansas in 1936. He moved to Wichita, Kansas in 1937 and accepted a position as field representative selling memberships for the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA).

During a membership drive in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he met his wife, Mary Margaret Mechling (1918- 1985), who was executive secretary to the Director of the IPAA. She was the daughter of Charles Mechling, a well-known oilman in Tulsa, and inventor of the famous "Mechling Wireline Clamp" that revolutionized cable tool technology at the time. They married in 1940 and resided in Wichita.

In 1944, John resigned his position with the IPAA, and together with Mary Margaret, published the first petroleum directory for Kansas in 1944. In 1946, John recognized a need to provide the oil and gas industry in Kansas with timely information on oil and gas drilling activity in the state. You see, in the early years of exploration, the major oil companies in Kansas had "oil scouts" working in the oil patch, attempting to keep some kind of record on oil field activity. The "oil scouts" would meet monthly to exchange information on their respective wells.

The independent producers did not have the advantage of this free exchange of information. Thus, John, along with his early partner, Jack Worley, recognized it was time to provide the "independent" operators in Kansas with timely oil and gas information. The Independent Oil & Gas Service was born. The first Weekly Oil Report was published on a hand-cranked, litho printing press in the basement of John and Mary Margaret's home on March 28, 1947.The reporting service was soon expanded to a daily edition. In the early 1960’s, John acquired the business and the partnership was dissolved.

Today, the company is still family-owned and operated by oldest son, John H. Morrison, III. The company expanded it's commercial printing, copying and publishing business in the 1980's and operates as Independent Digital Printing.  IDP provides complete printing and copy services, and full binding service. IDP has complete print-on-demand capabilities.

 

 

   
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