This is a bad thing

Oil wells rise in south Alabama

There's always been some oil production in the state (fifteenth most in the nation, down from 13th at its peak), but it's been declining in recent years. But now it's rising and new production is coming on line. This is bad, because in normal times oil production in these fields isn't very economical. But with gas at three dollars a gallon, you can afford to drill in such peripheral fields.