Champ Oil Company, Inc. was founded by Wayne L. Farris in 1981 and incorporated as a Mississippi Corporation in January 1984. Champ Oil Co., Inc., which is solely owned and operated by Wayne L. Farris, moved its corporate headquarters to Norman, Oklahoma in 1985 to better feel the heartbeat of the oil business and for a more practical business operation. In 2005, Champ moved it’s headquarters to Denton, Texas to research the Barnett Shale.

After carefully reviewing numerous domestic prospects requiring shallow, low cost, high potential natural gas production, Mr. Farris solicited the help of a long time friend, Scott Gilbert, Geologist and former President of the Tennessee Oil and Gas Association, to assist with acquiring lease prospects and  developmental planning along the Southern rim of the Appalachian Basin in Southeastern Kentucky. Champ secured several oil and gas leases along the Cumberland River in Whitley County, Kentucky. Six wells were drilled in 1985, encountering five productive natural gas wells.  Recognizing the potential of this area, additional leases were secured and developed. The primary geologic formation for gas production is the Big Lime formation. In addition to the Big Lime, there are 13 additional potentially productive horizons to the top of the Knox Formation at approximately 4,000 feet.

Champ credits its success rate to the fact that it’s development is in a proven area for natural gas as well as carefully selecting specific well locations based on accepted geological prospecting methods. Historically, Champ’s main objective was natural gas production. But, with market demand for oil on the rise, Champ has recently developed new production finds for oil. Additionally, Champ Oil Company acts as operator throughout the area in order to provide continued maintenance to the wells in production.

Champ’s natural gas supply was initially transported to one market through the Redbird Gas System, which proved to be outdated and unreliable. In 1988, Mr. Farris, realizing the importance of having an efficient, independent pipeline and gathering system to market Champ’s gas, formed the Herbert White Gas Company. To date, Herbert White Gas Company has installed approximately 200 miles of gas pipeline to service the wells in this area. The gathering system has branched out to areas of wilderness that have never been accessible, allowing Champ to take full advantage of the virgin resources in this area. Thousands of virgin acres are available for further exploration in Whitley, McCreary, Henderson, and Hopkins counties in Kentucky, with easy access to the Herbert White Gas pipeline. The pipeline has two outlets, both with multiple market capabilities. Reaching multiple gas markets gives Champ the ability to negotiate for premium gas prices.

Champ’s operational area includes over 30,000 acres in Whitley, McCreary, Henderson, and Hopkins Counties in Kentucky, and Overton County in Tennessee. Several thousand acres are now in Champ’s lease inventory for future development. Each proposed location is permitted from between 1,500 to 4,000 feet to test potential pay zones for both oil and gas. Champ has access to the most experienced Drillers, Geologists, and Engineers in the area to drill and complete the wells in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost. Once the wells are in production, Champ continues to monitor and maintain the production though the use of an in-house service rig. A 7,500 square foot shop located on a 12 acre service yard in Williamsburg, KY with a separate field office to accommodate it’s operations is located in the heart of the drilling area.

Extensive planning is ongoing for future exploration and development in both oil and gas in this established Kentucky-Tennessee developmental field as well as select Texas sites. Champ Oil believes in doing it the right way with proven principles and the experience of over 34 years in the business.

Champ Oil Company, Inc., has been built on a solid foundation and is looking forward to many more years of success.  Champ’s business principles are based on honesty, integrity, and creativity. You can put your trust in Champ Oil and count on us for exploration, development, and production. We encourage anyone interested in our operations to visit our field office or headquarters to see for themselves that Champ Oil Company is a business with great growth potential.