Applications of the new “PAYZONE” GIS oil production data set in exploration and development programs in Illinois

By

CROCKETT, JOAN E., GUSTISON, STEVEN R., and JOHANEK, PHILIP

Illinois State Geological Survey, Champaign, IL

     A current database upgrade project, “PAYZONE,” has in the past year added thousands of oil producing zones to the ISGS oil and gas Oracle digital database.  This database upgrade has direct and immediate applications for use by operators, geological scientists, the public, and the ISGS’s scientists in its research and service programs and its contractual obligations. Analysis of the petroleum resources of Illinois is greatly enhanced though use of this expanding database. PAYZONE is the  foundation we are building to vastly expand the power to merge Illinois oil production data with other database attributes, such as  well status/history, location, formation tops, production volumes, proximity to injection wells and waterflood units, porosity, permeability, and other database attributes. These data can be displayed, analyzed, and interpreted in many manners, such as by mapping using a Geographic Information Systems approach and spatial and statistical analysis techniques. Customers may purchase these data as custom database queries that are readily downloaded into standard spreadsheets or data management software, or as hard copy paper plots.  Future ISGS products such as the annual oil and gas fields production reports, waterflood reports, and other oil and gas resource analyses will rely on the improved and enhanced database. Examples of standard and custom PAYZONE applications will be provided, and the steps to acquire and utilize the data in custom applications will be documented.