Legal Updates

Wyoming State Geological Survey Developing Next Generation of Oil and Gas Map of Wyoming

Despite the fact that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management lease sale covering lands in Wyoming conducted on May 5, 2015, brought in a paltry $688,000, which is the lowest total since August 2009, the Wyoming State Geological Survey (“WSGS”) has begun the process of developing the next generation of the Oil and Gas Map of Wyoming.

The Oil and Gas Map of Wyoming is one of the most popular products published by the WSGS. No wonder, as Wyoming currently ranks fifth in the production of natural gas and eighth in oil production. The current version of the map, which can be downloaded from the WSGS website or purchased in a large printed format, contains information including: boundaries of producing and abandoned oil fields in Wyoming; producing formations; field designations; refinery and gas plant locations and capacities; pipeline sizes, operators and locations; basin locations; extent of shale-bearing rocks; and railroad locations.

For the next generation of the map, in addition to updating the information described above, the WSGS plans create an online version of the map, which will allow users to display and interact with various layers of the information contained in the map. More information about the Oil and Gas Map and the other projects of the WSGS can be found online at http://www.wsgs.wyo.gov/.