Chapter 4

The GIS Project for the Geologic 

Assessment of In-Place Oil Shale 

Resources of the Uinta Basin, Utah

and Colorado

By Tracey J. Mercier, Gregory L. Gunther, and Christopher C. Skinner

Chapter 4 of 7

Oil Shale Resources of the Uinta Basin, Utah and Colorado 

By U.S. Geological Survey Oil Shale Assessment Team

U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS–69–BB

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

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U.S. Department of the Interior

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Marcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2010

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Suggested citation:

Mercier, T.J., Gunther, G.L., and Skinner, C.C., 2010, The GIS project for the geologic assessment of in-place oil shale 

resources of the Uinta basin, Utah and Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS–69–BB, chp. 4, 1 p.
iii

Contents

References Cited............................................................................................................................................1
A geographic information system (GIS) focusing on 

the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah was developed as an 

analysis tool for the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) 2010 

assessment of in-place oil shale resources in the Eocene Green 

River Formation. The Energy Resources Science Center of the 

USGS has also developed an internet mapping service (IMS)

to deliver the GIS data to the public. This online mapping 

tool utilizes information from a database about the oil shale 

endowment of the western United States and converts the data 

into geospatial layers for analysis. The ability to view and 

query geologic features on an interactive map facilitates (1) 

an understanding of domestic oil shale resources for strategic 

planning, (2) formulating economic and energy policies, (3) 

evaluating lands under the purview of the Federal Government, and (4) developing sound environmental policies. 

Several types of data are included in the GIS project, 

which contains oil shale zone boundaries, borehole locations, isopachs, oil shale Fischer assay results, and resource 

assessment results in tabular and geospatial data formats. The 

distribution and richness of oil shale for 18 assessment zones 

are illustrated in specialized maps created by the USGS Oil 

Shale Assessment Team; these are referred to as “raster maps 

or models.” Models for the 18 oil shale zones are included in 

the Uinta Basin GIS project. The IMS integrates these data 

with thematic geospatial layers for geographic reference using 

a web service-based architecture. The thematic layers or map 

services available through ArcGIS Online (ESRI, 2009) may 

include themes formally named Imagery, Streets, Shaded 

Relief, and Topography. Each formal theme can contain additional geospatial content, examples of which include:

•	 Highways

•	 Major and minor roads

•	 Railways

•	 Water features

•	 Administrative boundaries

•	 Cities, parks, and landmarks

•	 Public Land Survey System (PLSS)

•	 Surface ownership

•	 Surface and outcrop geology

To access the IMS and to download spatial data that 

formed the basis of the GIS for the Uinta Basin, click on the 

following USGS Oil Shale Assessment Web site link: (http://

energy.cr.usgs.gov/other/oil_shale/). Several data formats are 

provided, including Environmental Systems Research Institute 

(ESRI, 2006) shapefiles, cell-based GRIDs, and Triangular

Irregular Network (TIN) models. These data are also exposed 

as web services based on a variety of industry-standard encodings, including Keyhole Markup Language (KML), Web 

Mapping Service (WMS), and ArcGIS Server REST. Additional encodings may be added based on technological need. 

Information for accessing these services is also available at the 

website.

All content is documented, based on standard metadata 

requirements. Access to the metadata is provided in a variety 

of formats that are incorporated into the downloadable datasets 

and can be viewed using the IMS.

References Cited

Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), 2006, 

ArcGIS, ver. 9.2: ESRI, Redlands, California., http://www.

esri.com/software/arcgis/index.html (last accessed August 

20, 2009).

Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), 2009, 

ArcGIS Online. ESRI Website: ESRI, Redlands, California, http://resources.esri.com/arcgisonlineservices/ (last 

accessed August 20, 2009).

The GIS Project for the Geologic Assessment of 

In-Place Oil Shale Resources of the Uinta Basin, Utah

and Colorado

By Tracey J. Mercier, Gregory L. Gunther, and Christopher C. Skinner
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