<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-5.1
<SEQUENCE>4
<FILENAME>e753143ex5_1.txt
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 5.1
<TEXT>
                                                                     Exhibit 5.1

                        OPINION OF CARY V. SORENSEN, ESQ.



                                                               December 24, 2003

Tengasco, Inc.
603 Main Avenue
Suite 500
Knoxville, TN 37902

Gentlemen:

     I have acted as counsel to  Tengasco,  Inc., a Tennessee  corporation  (the
"Company"),   in  connection  with  the  Registration  Statement  on  Form  S-1,
Registration  No.  333-109784  (the  "Registration  Statement"),  filed with the
Securities and Exchange  Commission (the "Commission")  under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Act"),  with respect to the  registration  and sale by
the Company of 12,100,000 rights to purchase 36,300,000 shares (the "Shares") of
common  stock,  par  value  $.001  per  share,  of the  Company,  including  the
registration and sale of the Shares.

     In connection  with the  foregoing,  I have  examined  originals or copies,
satisfactory to me, of the Company's  Restated  Certificate of Incorporation and
Bylaws.  I also have  reviewed such other matters of law and examined and relied
upon all such corporate records, agreements, certificates and other documents as
I have deemed  relevant  and  necessary  as a basis for the opinion  hereinafter
expressed.  In  such  examination,   I  have  assumed  the  genuineness  of  all
signatures,  the authenticity of all documents  submitted to me as originals and
the conformity with the original  documents of all documents  submitted to me as
copies or facsimiles.  As to any facts materials to such opinion, I have, to the
extent that relevant facts were not  independently  established by me, relied on
certificates  of  public   officials  and  certificates  of  officers  or  other
representatives of the Company.

     Based upon and subject to the  foregoing  and  compliance  with  applicable
state  securities laws, I am of the opinion that the Shares will be, if and when
issued and sold as contemplated in the Registration  Statement,  validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable.

     I hereby  consent  to the  filing  of this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to the
Registration  Statement and to the reference made to me under the capital "Legal
Matters" in the prospectus  constituting part of the Registration  Statement. In
giving this  consent,  I do not thereby  admit that I am within the  category of
persons  whose  consent is required  under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and
regulations  of the  Commission  promulgated  thereunder,  including Item 509 of
Regulation S-K.



                                            Very truly yours,



                                                 /s/ Cary V. Sorensen
                                            -----------------------------------
                                                 Cary V. Sorensen, Esq.

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
