Strategy / Strategy - Stock Market / Corporate · 1979

Oil Wells

Published by Sears · Developed by Image Producers, Inc. (The)

atarimania.com — atari-400-800-xl-xe-games-oil-wells-3771

Information

Genre: Strategy - Stock Market / Corporate
Language: BASIC
Controls: Joystick, Keyboard
Players: 1, 1 vs. 2, 2+
Programmer(s): O'Conner, Leah
Graphic Artist(s): O'Conner, Leah
Sound: [n/a]
Cover Artist(s): [unknown]
Year: 1979
Publisher: Sears
Developer: Image Producers, Inc. (The)
Country: USA
License: Commercial
Medium: Tape
Rarity: 10
Serial: 7676

Votes / Statistics

Rating: 5.9/10 · Votes: 10 · Downloads: 1,032 · Hits: 7,805

Additional Comments

Updated on November 10th, 2020. Contrary to the other games developed by The Image Producers, Inc. for Sears, this program was never re-released by Image Computer Products, although it was announced under the name of Wildcatting (the title, however, did appear for other systems).

Updated on November 9th, 2020. Up until several weeks ago, this program was believed to be a PD game known as Oil Well. The title was recently found with the manual and there is now clear confirmation that it was sold by Sears. Available for download is a reconstructed tape image made from the 16K version of the game (which may differ from the original release). Along with the other titles by Sears, these are likely the very first third-party software products for the Atari.

Many thanks to Allan for scanning the manual!

Missing original tape images (8K and 16K)!

Screenshots (6)

Comments (3)

opus49 — 24 Aug 2025
I played this game as a kid in the 80's on our Atari 800 XL.
AbbotKinneyDude — 6 Dec 2020
Pictures of the original tapes were posted by John Hardie in the public Atari 8-bit Computers facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/atari8bitcomputers/permalink/2790193351018153/
Daniel Thomas MacInnes — 24 Jul 2018
My family had Oil Well for our Atari 800XL computers. I don't believe it was ever a commercial release, but either an indie or freeware title, possibly offered in the pages of Antic. This is an excellent simulation of running an oil company, drilling for wells, making money, yadda yadda. I'm glad to see it has been digitally preserved.