NEWS RELEASE: Wyoming Geological Survey Publishes Updated Oil and Gas Map of Wyoming

WSGS Releases 2019 Oil and Gas Map of Wyoming

The Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS) has updated its Oil and Gas Map of Wyoming (series 104). The 2019 map of the state’s oil and natural gas infrastructure replaces the 2016 version, and is available for purchase or as a free download.

“This map continues to be one of our most widely used publications, helpful to many sectors of industry, government, and the public,” says Dr. Erin Campbell, Wyoming State Geologist and director of the WSGS. “Oil and gas development is constantly evolving, and the Oil and Gas Map highlights the current activity across Wyoming.”

The updated 1:500,000-scale map includes the latest oil and gas field polygons and field attributes, including their producing reservoirs, hydrocarbon products, and whether fields are used for storage or disposal. Also shown on the map are both active and inactive oil refineries and natural gas processing plants, with daily refining and processing capacity noted for active facilities. Data about pipelines and their transport products were provided by the Wyoming Pipeline Authority.

Interesting oil- and gas-related tidbits are also scattered throughout the map. For example, according to the Energy Information Administration, Wyoming ranks eighth nationwide for both oil and natural gas production. Wyoming’s estimated reserves suggest the state could fulfill U.S. oil usage for 46 days and U.S. gas usage for 262 days.

Historical facts discuss Wyoming’s first oil well, the first logged well in Wyoming, and the first field in the Rocky Mountains discovered using seismic surveys.

More recent facts on which counties and formations are producing the most oil and gas, which fields are using horizontal drilling techniques, and upcoming oil and natural gas projects are also noted on the map. Several pipeline projects, in particular, will expand Wyoming’s oil and gas transport capacity, both within the state and to regional hubs.

"This map is useful for the big-picture view of oil and gas activity across the state,” says map co-author and WSGS geologist, Rachel Toner. “Unfortunately, the map scale limits the amount of detail that can be shown at the well level, which is where most changes occurred since the 2016 update.”

For more detailed data layers, including all oil and gas wells, the WSGS maintains an annually updated, interactive online version of the map. Read about the 2019 online map update in the June news release.

A shapefile of the 2019 field polygons is available for download from the WSGS website. Find more information about Wyoming’s oil and natural gas resources on the WSGS website.