Exploring the Legacy and Future of OPIC: A Virtual Tour of the Oklahoma Petroleum Information Center

Abstract:

Since its establishment in 1900 as the Territorial Survey, the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) has served as a vital resource for industry, researchers, and the public. Over more than a century of operation, OGS has curated an extensive archive of geologic data and materials now housed at the Oklahoma Petroleum Information Center (OPIC). This facility contains cores and cuttings from thousands of wells, as well as a comprehensive collection of well logs, completion reports, production records, vintage lease maps, research reports, aerial photographs, and other valuable datasets. Efforts are underway to enhance accessibility through a GIS-based web application that will provide digital access to many of these resources. Additionally, new analytical equipment is being installed at OPIC to support advanced core scanning and data acquisition, further expanding the facility’s research capabilities.

Bio:

Noah Morris grew up on the rocky shores of Keystone Lake in Cleveland, OK where he took an interest in geology. He earned his B.S. degree in geology from the University of Oklahoma in 2010 and subsequently worked in the oilfields of the Mid-Continent and later completed his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in geology from the University of Arkansas. Noah returned to OU in 2024 to work for the Oklahoma Geological Survey as part of the critical minerals group, where his current work focuses on identifying potential critical mineral resources in Oklahoma. In doing so, he studies cores, cuttings, and archived documents and data housed at the Oklahoma Petroleum Information Center.