EXHIBIT 10.2

                       AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
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     THAT EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT ("Agreement") made as of the 30th day of
September, 1996, by and between THE WISER OIL COMPANY, a Delaware corporation,
and KENT E. JOHNSON is hereby amended in the following respects only:

     FIRST:  Section 1.02 of the Agreement is hereby amended by restatement in
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its entirety to read as follows:

          1.02.  Term.  Subject to the terms and provisions of Article II
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     hereof, Employee's employment hereunder shall be extended and shall
     continue through the close of business on March 31, 2000.

     SECOND:  Section 1.05 of the Agreement is hereby amended by redesignating
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as subsection (b) the second subsection appearing therein designated as
subsection (a), redesignating as subsection (c) the subsection therein
designated as subsection (b), and restating subsection (a) thereof in its
entirety to read as follows:

          (a) If Employee's employment with the Company is terminated by the
     Company or by Employee for any reason other than illness, disability or
     death of Employee within twelve months following a Change of Control of the
     Company, Employee shall be paid, within 30 days following such termination,
     an amount in cash equal to the sum of (i) Employee's Base Salary at the
     time of his termination of employment multiplied by three, (ii) the amount
     equal to the premium cost or other amount paid by the Company during the
     one-year period preceding Employee's termination of employment to provide
     Employee with (A) life, health and disability insurance benefits, and (B)
     the use of an automobile for such year, and (iii) the amount of the
     additional payment, if any, determined pursuant to Section 1.06.

     THIRD:  Article I of the Agreement is hereby amended to add a new Section
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1.06 to the end thereof to read as follows:

          1.06.  Certain Additional Payments by the Company.  Anything in this
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          Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, if it shall be determined
          that any payment or distribution by the Company to or for the benefit
          of Employee (whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable
          pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise) but determined
          without regard to any additional payments required pursuant to this
          Section 1.06 (a "Payment") would be subject to the excise tax imposed
          by Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
          "Code"), or any interest or penalties

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     are incurred by Employee with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax,
     together with any such interest and penalties, hereinafter collectively
     referred to as the "Excise Tax"), then Employee shall be entitled to
     receive an additional payment from the Company (a "Gross-Up Payment") in an
     amount such that after payment by Employee of all taxes (including any
     interest or penalties with respect to such taxes), including, without
     limitation, any income taxes (and any interest and penalties imposed with
     respect thereto) and Excise Tax imposed upon the Gross-Up Payment, Employee
     retains an amount of Gross-Up Payment equal to the Excise Tax imposed upon
     the Payments.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Amendment has been executed this 20TH day of May,
1997, to be effective as of April 1, 1997.
 


 
                              /s/ Kent E. Johnson
                              -------------------------------------
                              KENT E. JOHNSON
 

                              THE WISER OIL COMPANY



                              By /s/ Andrew J. Shoup, Jr.
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                                Title: President



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