Ayers Anticline

Location

T6N, R3, and 4W, Bond County (H-4, 5)

References

Blatchley 1914, Kay 1915, Bell 1926c, 1928, 1941

Description

As originally mapped by Blatchley (1914), the Ayers Anticline extended almost all the way across northern Bond County. The area was remapped by Bell (1941), who used considerably more control points and renamed part of the former western extent of the Ayers Anticline the Reno Anticline. The two are shown on Bell's map as small separate highs along a continuous anticlinal nose. Separate naming of two such closely related features does not appear warranted; therefore, the use of the name Reno Anticline is discontinued, and the older name of Ayers Anticline now includes both areas of closure.

The Ayers Anticline has at least 25 feet (7.5 m) of closure on the Herrin Coal Member and maximum structural relief of more than 100 feet (30 m). The outline is somewhat irregular and the axis trends east to west. A gas field producing from the Yankeetown ("Benoist") Sandstone was developed on the Ayers Anticline during the 1920s and abandoned in 1950. Total production from the field is listed as 298.7 million cubic feet from 21 wells.

The Ayers Anticline may reflect a larger deep structure. A structure map of the top of the Karnak Limestone Member (R. Howard, ISGS, unpublished mapping) shows sharp eastward nosing of contour lines in the Ayers Gas Field. Stevenson et al. (1981) also portrayed similar nosing on the base of the New Albany Group (Devonian-Mississippian). The Devonian high trends southeastward from western Macoupin County through Bond County.