GIS Based Mapping and Distribution of New Oil/Gas Pay Horizon Maps in Illinois

By

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

Illinois State Geological Survey, Champaign, IL

     Oil and gas have been commercially produced in Illinois for over 100 years.  Annual oil production peaked at 147.6 million barrels in 1940 and has steadily declined to around 12 million barrels.  Current production is dominated by low volume stripper wells.  Recent calculations indicate that remaining mobile resources in the Illinois Basin may be as much as 4.1 billion barrels.  In an effort to increase the annual production of oil, the ISGS has begun a GIS based approach geared toward analyzing a large database of historical well information.

     A new series of pay horizon maps will graphically display the extent of each producing zone.  This series will be distributed over the Internet using ArcIMS software that permits users to access and interact with GIS data at their desktops.  Additional GIS layers will be added to include historical waterflood and reservoir data.