Gulf Coast Geology Online Data Downloads

This dataset of anticlines is intended primarily for reference; it includes major structures such as those shown on Plate 2, Principal structural features, Gulf of Mexico Basin (compiled by T.E. Ewing and R.F. Lopez), in Volume J, The Geology of North America (1991).

The depth to top of the Wilcox Group is contoured from location and top information derived from the Petroleum Information (PI) Wells database. The depth to Wilcox map represents the tops found in the database with the addition of surface geology from USGS maps and field data. The veracity of the PI Wells database is being checked by comparison to published cross sections and geologic maps. Interpretation of the depth to Wilcox and apparent thickness maps along with published measured sections and cross sections indicates that portions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama contain broad areas where a 20 to 40 foot net thickness of lignite and coal occur at shallow depths. The thicker coal zones are attributed to growth faulting or rift zones influencing peat deposition. The depth to Wilcox map shows several areas where dome-like uplifts and bench-like coal-bearing rock are buried to depths less than 5,000 ft.

The sand percent contours were produced by the Louisiana Geological Survey and were digitized from Chapter 11, Cenozoic, in The Gulf of Mexico Basin, Volume J, The Geology of North America (1991). The data are provided in three shapefiles--one for each stage (Lower, Middle and Upper) of the Miocene series.

The maximum extent of Cretaceous onlap is generalized from Plate 3, Structure at the base and subcrop below Mesozoic marine section, Gulf of Mexico Basin (compiled by A. Salvador) in Volume J, The Geology of North America (1991).

The thickness contours were created using biostratigraphic data in the Paleo-Data, Inc., Tenroc Regional Geologic Database. The depths of the microfossil locations were associated with the wells data provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Because of the proprietary nature of the Tenroc database, no actual data can be shown and only those data points contained in the Louisiana State wells database are included in the control points layer. Contouring was accomplished in Dynamic Graphics, Inc., EarthVision modeling software (v.5) using minimum tension gridding. Three custom programs were used to convert contour lines generated from grids in EarthVision to Arc/Info coverages and then to shapefiles. The data are provided as both lines and polygons (lm1thicklg.shp and lm1thickpg.shp), and the public wells that penetrate the entire thickness of the Lower Miocene 1 sequence are provided in a point shapefile (lm1thickptg.shp).

The thickness contours were created using biostratigraphic data in the Paleo-Data, Inc., Tenroc Regional Geologic Database. The depths of the microfossil locations were associated with the wells data provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Because of the proprietary nature of the Tenroc database, no actual data can be shown and only those data points contained in the Louisiana State wells database are included in the control points layer. Contouring was accomplished in Dynamic Graphics, Inc., EarthVision modeling software (v.5) using minimum tension gridding. Three custom programs were used to convert contour lines generated from grids in EarthVision to Arc/Info coverages and then to shapefiles. The data are provided as both lines and polygons (lm2thicklg.shp and lm2thickpg.shp), and the public wells that penetrate the entire thickness of the Lower Miocene 2 sequence are provided in a point shapefile (lm2thickptg.shp).

These data represent major fault zones as indicated on Plate 2, Principal structural features, Gulf of Mexico Basin (compiled by T.E. Ewing and R.F. Lopez) in volume J, The Geology of North America (1991).

These mapped faults are modified from Plate 2, Principal structural features, Gulf of Mexico Basin (compiled by T.E. Ewing and R.F. Lopez) in Volume J, The Geology of North America (1991); Plate 2, Geologic map of the U.S. Appalachians showing the Laurentian margin and the Taconic orogen (compiled by D.R. Rankin, A.A. Drake, and N.M. Ratcliffe) in Volume F-2, The Geology of North America (1989); and Plate 9, Tectonic map of the Ouachita orogen (compiled by W.A. Thomas) in Volume F-2, The Geology of North America (1989).

The polygons representing fields were created by constructing a grid of ¼ sq. mi. cells and proximal polygons centered on all wells in southern Louisiana and then combining and merging the adjacent polygons having the same value for field name. The wells data used to create these fields in southern Louisiana were obtained from a public database provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR), Office of Conservation.

For each of the four Miocene sequences, polygons representing producing areas within fields were created by constructing a grid of ¼ sq. mi. cells and proximal polygons centered on all producing wells and then combining and merging the adjacent polygons having the same value for field name. Although the polygons are based on the producing wells only, they may also include some dry holes. The producing intervals were determined by comparing the depth of production to the structure contours (see metadata for the structure contours). The data are provided in four shapefiles--one for each Miocene sequence (Lower 1, Lower 2, Middle and Upper).

These data provide generalized outlines of major basins and uplifts in the Gulf Coast region modified after Plate 2, Principal structural features, Gulf of Mexico Basin (compiled by T.E. Ewing and R.F. Lopez) in Volume J, The Geology of North America (1991).

The thickness contours were created using biostratigraphic data in the Paleo-Data, Inc., Tenroc Regional Geologic Database. The depths of the microfossil locations were associated with the wells data provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Because of the proprietary nature of the Tenroc database, no actual data can be shown and only those data points contained in the Louisiana State wells database are included in the control points layer. Contouring was accomplished in Dynamic Graphics, Inc., EarthVision modeling software (v.5) using minimum tension gridding. Three custom programs were used to convert contour lines generated from grids in EarthVision to Arc/Info coverages and then to shapefiles. The data are provided as both lines and polygons (mmthicklg.shp and mmthickpg.shp), and the public wells that penetrate the entire thickness of the Middle Miocene sequence are provided in a point shapefile (mmthickptg.shp).

The thickness contours were created using biostratigraphic data in the Paleo-Data, Inc., Tenroc Regional Geologic Database. The depths of the microfossil locations were associated with the wells data provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Because of the proprietary nature of the Tenroc database, no actual data can be shown and only those data points contained in the Louisiana State wells database are included in the control points layer. Contouring was accomplished in Dynamic Graphics, Inc., EarthVision modeling software (v.5) using minimum tension gridding. Three custom programs were used to convert contour lines generated from grids in EarthVision to Arc/Info coverages and then to shapefiles. The data are provided as both lines and polygons (umthicklg.shp and umthickpg.shp), and the public wells that penetrate the entire thickness of the Upper Miocene sequence are provided in a point shapefile (umthickptg.shp).

This dataset represents the producing, dry holes, wildcat wells and wells that have other well type categories other than the ones mentioned previously in Louisiana. These wells were used to create gas and oil field polygons. The field polygons include discovery data, number of producing wells in the field, average measured depth of those well, total gas and oil production from 1977-2014, gas oil ratio (GOR), and field type. Also, included is a table with historic gas and oil production from 1977-2014.

https://www.ig.utexas.edu/research/projects/gbds/gbds.htm. For more information and discussion of the various depositional systems the user is referred to Galloway and others

The drilling history documents oil and gas wells in the Lower Miocene 1 sequence as a whole and in 10-year intervals. The wells included in this interval are determined by completion date and by comparing the depth of the wells to structure contours of the Lower Miocene 1 sequence. The data are provided in a single file (lm1_prod.shp) as well as eight 10-year interval files covering 1920 through 1999.

The drilling history documents oil and gas wells in the Lower Miocene 2 sequence as a whole and in 10-year intervals. The wells included in this interval are determined by completion date and by comparing the depth of the wells to structure contours of the Lower Miocene 2 sequence. The data are provided in a single file (lm2_prod.shp) as well as nine 10-year interval files covering 1910 through 1999.

The drilling history documents oil and gas wells in the Middle Miocene sequence as a whole and in 10-year intervals. The wells included in this interval are determined by completion date and by comparing the depth of the wells to structure contours of the Middle Miocene sequence. The data are provided in a single file (mm_prod.shp) as well as eight 10-year interval files covering 1920 through 1999.

The drilling history documents oil and gas wells in the Upper Miocene sequence as a whole and in 10-year intervals. The wells included in this interval are determined by completion date and by comparing the depth of the wells to structure contours of the Upper Miocene sequence. The data are provided in a single file (um_prod.shp) as well as eight 10-year interval files covering 1920 through 1999.

These data provide the general location of the Ouachita and Appalachian structural fronts slightly modified from Plate 4, Natural resources, Gulf of Mexico Basin (compiled by A. Salvador and R. Nehring), in Volume J, The Geology of North America (1991).

The USGS Central Region Energy Team assesses oil and gas resources of the United States. The onshore and State water areas of the United States comprise 71 provinces. Within these provinces, hydrocarbon plays or assessment units are defined and assessed. Each of these provinces is defined geologically, and most province boundaries are defined by major geologic changes. The province boundaries were drawn on the county lines that most closely followed the natural geologic boundaries.

Locations and shapes of salt diapirs were modified after the New Orleans Geological Society map, Salt tectonism of the U.S. Gulf Coast Basin (compiled by J.A. Lopez, 1995); Plate 2, Principal structural features, Gulf of Mexico Basin (compiled by T.E. Ewing and R.F. Lopez) in Volume J, The Geology of North America (1991); and U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1213, Distribution of salt structures, Gulf of Mexico, by R.G. Martin (1980).

The lines shown are those used by the USGS in developing the framework geology and models used in assessing the oil and gas resources of the Gulf Coast Region. The data set is comprised of both leased and borrowed company proprietary data.

The structure contours were created using biostratigraphic data in the Paleo-Data, Inc., Tenroc Regional Geologic Database. The depths of the microfossil locations were associated with the wells data provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Because of the proprietary nature of the Tenroc database, no actual data can be shown and only those data points contained in the Louisiana State wells database are included in the control points layer. Contouring was accomplished in Dynamic Graphics, Inc., EarthVision modeling software (v.5) using minimum tension gridding. Three custom programs were used to convert contour lines generated from grids in EarthVision to Arc/Info coverages and then to shapefiles. The data are provided as both lines and polygons (lm1toplg.shp and lm1toppg.shp), and the public wells that penetrate the top of the Lower Miocene 1 (LM1) sequence are provided in a point shapefile (lm1topptg.shp).

The structure contours were created using biostratigraphic data in the Paleo-Data, Inc., Tenroc Regional Geologic Database. The depths of the microfossil locations were associated with the wells data provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Because of the proprietary nature of the Tenroc database, no actual data can be shown and only those data points contained in the Louisiana State wells database are included in the control points layer. Contouring was accomplished in Dynamic Graphics, Inc., EarthVision modeling software (v.5) using minimum tension gridding. Three custom programs were used to convert contour lines generated from grids in EarthVision to Arc/Info coverages and then to shapefiles. The data are provided as both lines and polygons (lm2toplg.shp and lm2toppg.shp), and the public wells that penetrate the top of the Lower Miocene 2 (LM2) sequence are provided in a point shapefile (lm2topptg.shp).

The structure contours were created using biostratigraphic data in the Paleo-Data, Inc., Tenroc Regional Geologic Database. The depths of the microfossil locations were associated with the wells data provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Because of the proprietary nature of the Tenroc database, no actual data can be shown and only those data points contained in the Louisiana State wells database are included in the control points layer. Contouring was accomplished in Dynamic Graphics, Inc., EarthVision modeling software (v.5) using minimum tension gridding. Three custom programs were used to convert contour lines generated from grids in EarthVision to Arc/Info coverages and then to shapefiles. The data are provided as both lines and polygons (mmtoplg.shp and mmtoppg.shp), and the public wells that penetrate the top of the Middle Miocene (MM) sequence are provided in a point shapefile (mmtopptg.shp).

The structure contours were created using biostratigraphic data in the Paleo-Data, Inc., Tenroc Regional Geologic Database. The depths of the microfossil locations were associated with the wells data provided by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Because of the proprietary nature of the Tenroc database, no actual data can be shown and only those data points contained in the Louisiana State wells database are included in the control points layer. Contouring was accomplished in Dynamic Graphics, Inc., EarthVision modeling software (v.5) using minimum tension gridding. Three custom programs were used to convert contour lines generated from grids in EarthVision to Arc/Info coverages and then to shapefiles. The data are provided as both lines and polygons (umtoplg.shp and umtoppg.shp), and the public wells that penetrate the top of the Upper Miocene (UM) sequence are provided in a point shapefile (umtopptg.shp).

The volcanic provinces are modified after Plate 2, Principal structural features, Gulf of Mexico Basin (compiled by T.E. Ewing and R.F. Lopez) in Volume J, The Geology of North America (1991).

The Apparent Wilcox Group thickness maps are contoured from location and top information derived from the Petroleum Information (PI) Wells database. The Wilcox apparent thickness map was constructed by searching for Wilcox and Midway Group tops. Apparent thickness is computed by subtracting Midway top from the Wilcox top. Geographic control is superimposed on the maps from USGS state line, county, elevation and other data files. The veracity of the PI Wells database is being checked by comparison to published cross sections and geologic maps.