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News Release, Kansas Geological Survey, Sept. 18, 2009


New Maps of Kansas Oil and Gas Fields Now Available

LAWRENCE--Nearly 6,000 oil and gas fields drilled in Kansas since 1860 are shown in a series of new maps now available from the Kansas Geological Survey based at the University of Kansas.

A wall-sized map of the state shows the location of all oil and gas fields as well as counties, county seats, state and federal highways, and township and range boundaries. Twelve other more detailed maps, each covering an area up to 90 by 55 miles, include individual field names.

"These maps serve as an official record of oil and gas activity in Kansas," said survey geologist Lynn Watney. "They are updated periodically to reflect enlarged drilling activity and new oil and gas fields that have been discovered."

In 2008, 102 new fields were discovered and other fields expanded as 1,690 oil wells and 1,620 gas wells were drilled.

The fields cover more than 15.7 million acres in Kansas, about 30% of the surface area of the state. That includes the 3-million-acre Hugoton and underlying Panoma Gas Areas in southwest Kansas, one of the world's largest gas-producing regions, which has yielded more than 21 trillion cubic feet of gas since 1922.

Beyond this expansive gas-producing area, the maps accentuate such geologic features as the long-buried Central Kansas Uplift, one of the most densely drilled geologic areas in the world along which fields have produced more than 2 billion barrels of oil. The patchwork of large and small oil and gas fields that dominate eastern Kansas, many producing since the early 1900s, are also depicted.

"Anyone interested in oil and gas activity, past and current, such as oil and gas operators, service companies, landowners, and county and local government officials will find these maps useful," Watney said.

Currently, the oil and gas fields of Kansas contain more than 55,400 producing oil wells and 24,000 producing gas wells. In 2008, these wells yielded approximately 39.6 million barrels of oil and 377 billion cubic feet of gas.

Annual production totals by field, county, and lease as well as individual well data are available on the Survey's website at www.kgs.ku.edu. A map viewer showing the Kansas oil and gas fields and individual wells with overlays of cultural features, aerial photographs, and topographic maps can be accessed at http://maps.kgs.ku.edu/oilgas. To open the viewer, users must have one of the following browsers: Internet Explorer 6 or higher, Firefox 2 or higher, or Safari.

The statewide oil and gas field map is drawn at a scale of 1:500,000 so that one inch on the map equals about 8 miles of actual distance. The 12 area maps are at a scale of 1:250,000 so that one inch on the map equals about 4 miles of actual distance.

Copies of the maps are available from the Kansas Geological Survey at 1930 Constant Ave., Lawrence KS 66047-3724, 785-864-3965, or pubsales@kgs.ku.edu and at 4150 Monroe Street, Wichita KS 67209, 316-943-2343. The cost is $20 for the statewide map and $10 for each area map plus shipping and handling. Inquire about shipping and handling charges and, for Kansas residents, sales tax.

More information about the Kansas Geological Survey and its other resources is available at www.kgs.ku.edu.


Story by Cathy Evans, (785) 864-2195.
For more information, contact Lynn Watney, (785) 864-2184

Kansas Geological Survey, Public Outreach
URL="http://www.kgs.ku.edu/General/News/2009/field_maps.html"