ˌɛsˈeɪtʃ sˈɛvənti tˈuː hɐz sˈiːn ɪŋkɹˈiːst tɹˈæfɪk dˈuː tʊ ˈɔɪl ænd ɡˈæs ɛksploːɹˈeɪʃən ʌvðɪ ˈiːɡəl fˈoːɹd fɔːɹmˈeɪʃən; ɹˈiːsənt kˈaʊnts hæv ˈɪndᵻkˌeɪɾᵻd ðæt tɹˈæfɪk ˌɔn ˌɛsˈeɪtʃ sˈɛvənti tˈuː ɛksˈiːdz ðæt ˌɔn jˌuːˈɛs ˈeɪɾi sˈɛvən ɚɹˈaʊnd kjˈuːɹoʊ.
SH 72 has seen increased traffic due to oil and gas exploration of the Eagle Ford Formation; recent counts have indicated that traffic on SH 72 exceeds that on US 87 around Cuero.