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<br />002G5'~ <br /> <br />Oil and Natural Gas <br /> <br /> <br />The basins's oil industry was bolstered by the discovery of <br /> <br /> <br />oil in Cheyenne County in 1949. The town of Sidney nearly doubled <br /> <br /> <br />in population from 1950 to 1960. The oil "boom" was over by 1970 <br /> <br /> <br />but production continues as does exploratory drilling. <br /> <br /> <br />The consumption of natural gas in the Platte River Basin and <br /> <br /> <br />in Nebraska far exceeds the amount produced. Sales of natural gas <br /> <br /> <br />in Nebraska in 1971 totalled 211,254 million cubic feet (mmcf) , <br /> <br /> <br />including an estimated 95,000 mmcf consumed in the basin. <br /> <br /> <br />Natural gas production in Nebraska has never been very large <br /> <br /> <br />and in recent years has decreased. In 1972 net production was <br /> <br /> <br />4,741 mmcf. The majority of the production is in the southwest <br /> <br /> <br />corner of the Panhandle in the Upper Platte Subbasin. <br /> <br />Sand and Gravel <br /> <br /> <br />The basin's thick deposits of sand and gravel are widely <br /> <br /> <br />distributed, but those developed commercially lie principally along <br /> <br /> <br />streams and their flood plains. This resource has substantial <br /> <br /> <br />economic importance. The value of 1970 production was about $7.5 <br /> <br /> <br />million. Sand and gravel are used mainly in highway construction <br /> <br /> <br />and concrete manufacturing. Other uses include fillers, railroad <br /> <br /> <br />ballast, and industrial sands. <br /> <br />Stone <br /> <br /> <br />Only limestone is quarried to any large extent. It exists <br /> <br /> <br />under most of the basin, but lies at considerable depth everywhere <br /> <br /> <br />except in the eastern portion. Much of the limestone produced is <br /> <br /> <br />used for concrete aggregate, roadstone, cement production, riprap, <br /> <br />2-15 <br /> <br />