AN SR22 PILOT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE; SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE; DECLARED AN EMERGENCY; AND DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT FOR A DEAD STICK LANDING.

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I WAS IN LEVEL CRUISE FLT AT 6000 FT MSL; ON MY WAY TO ZZZ AND HAD JUST BEEN ISSUED A CLRNC TO DSND TO 4000 FT WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST OIL PRESSURE; THE GAUGE WENT FROM 57 PSI TO 0 PSI IN THE MATTER OF ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND THE 'OIL' ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND DECLARED AN EMER; ASKING APCH FOR THE NEAREST ARPT. THE CTLR GAVE ME A VECTOR AND I DSNDED THROUGH A CLOUD DECK TO FIND MYSELF HIGH AND ON A L BASE TO RWY XX. I EXTENDED FLAPS AND LANDED ON ABOUT THE MIDDLE THIRD OF THE RWY; PULLING OFF AT THE LAST TXWY. THE CTLR CONTACTED BOTH EMS AND THE FIRE DEPT; WHO ARRIVED AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT I DID. I HAD LOST ABOUT A QUART OF OIL; AND THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRPLANE WAS COVERED WITH OIL. AT THE PRESENT TIME; I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED; BUT I AM ASSUMING THAT THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK THAT DUMPED THE OIL OVERBOARD AND PREVENTED THE PUMP FROM DEVELOPING PRESSURE. A MECH WILL EXAMINE THE AIRPLANE THIS WEEK. THERE WERE NO DEFECTS WHEN I PRE-FLTED THE AIRPLANE; AND THE ENG HAD 7 QUARTS OF OIL. ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL DURING START; TAXI; RUN-UP; AND TKOF. THERE WERE NO ANOMALIES UNTIL THE SUDDEN LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. I THINK THAT THE MAIN REASON THINGS TURNED OUT WELL WAS THAT I WAS WORKING WITH A REALLY GOOD CTLR. AS SOON AS I TOLD HIM MY PROB; HE WAS ABLE TO ISSUE ME A VECTOR TO GET ME TO AN ARPT; GET ME THE WX AND UNICOM FREQ FOR THAT ARPT; AND NOTIFY EMS AND FIRE. I ALSO OWE THANKS TO EVERY FLT INSTRUCTOR WHO HAS EVER SIMULATED AN ENG FAILURE AND MADE MY ACTIONS AUTO. LASTLY; I HAD OFTEN THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT I WOULD DO IN THE EVENT OF AN ENG FAILURE (AMONG OTHER EMERS) AND REHEARSED THOSE ACTIONS IN MY HEAD. I HAD DECIDED THAT I WOULD AIM FOR THE MIDDLE THIRD OF THE RWY AS OPPOSED TO THE THRESHOLD IF I WAS LNDG WITHOUT AN ENG. MY RATIONALE FOR THIS WAS THAT I'D RATHER ROLL OFF THE END OF THE RWY AT LOW SPD THAN LAND SHORT AT FLYING SPD. I WAS FAIRLY SURPRISED TO REALIZE THAT I HAD AUTOMATICALLY DONE THIS; WITHOUT CONSCIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT IT. AS IT HAPPENED; I HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO STOP ON THE RWY AND ROLL OFF ONTO A TXWY. THIS INCIDENT ILLUSTRATES THE IMPORTANCE OF THINKING ABOUT EMERS WHILE 'ARMCHAIR FLYING.'