Kansas Geological Society Library

What Kansas Geological Society Library does

The Kansas Geological Society & Library (KGS, KGS&L) is a nonprofit membership-based professional society and geological data archive founded in 1923 and headquartered at 1704 S. Baehr St., Wichita, Kansas. The organization maintains the most complete collection of oil and gas well data for Kansas and surrounding areas, with the Robert F. Walters Digital Geological Library (WDL) holding 3,159,072 digital well logs, geologic reports, electric logs, LAS files, and drill stem tests donated by industry over more than a century. The library operates Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., staffed by six employees, with a 20-person elected officer and committee structure governing the society side of the organization.

The core technology is the WDL digital platform, a self-serve portal where members search, purchase, and download documents, complemented by a physical paper library of historical records. The WDL platform is closed to programmatic access by policy, with automated scripts and scraping explicitly prohibited. Additional offerings include bi-monthly KGS&L Bulletins (archived in PDF from 2002 to 2026), a virtual Technical Talks program delivered via Zoom, social events such as golf tournaments and clay shoots, and field trips for professional development.

KGS generates revenue through tiered corporate and individual WDL memberships priced at $1,400-$5,000 annually based on company production and employee count, a $250 trial/evaluation membership, $45 annual KGS society memberships ($15 for students), and $1 per-document sales with ancillary printing fees. Members are primarily petroleum geologists, major and independent oil companies operating in the Mid-Continent region, and university geology programs. The organization is an Affiliate Society of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and maintains partnerships with the Kansas Geological Survey, the Kansas Geological Foundation, and regional university geology departments.

Name

Kansas Geological Society Library

Legal name

Kansas Geological Society & Library

Website

https://kgslibrary.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Kansas Geological Society & Library is a 1923-founded nonprofit operating the Robert F. Walters Digital Geological Library, which contains over 3.1 million oil and gas well logs and documents for Kansas and surrounding areas, serving petroleum geologists, oil companies, and university geology programs through tiered memberships and per-document sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geological Data Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389)

akta.pro primary industry

OER Repositories, Discovery & Metadata Services (EDAGAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seismic & Geoscience Services (Acquisition, Processing, Interpretation) (EUALABAK), Earth Science & Geoscience Programs (EDAMABAI)

Keywords

• Geological data library
• Oil well data services
• Petroleum geology resources
• Digital well log archive
• Professional geological society

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. WDL Digital Library Memberships: Annual memberships to the Walters Digital Library providing access to digital well logs and geological data. Tiered pricing based on company production levels (BOE/year) and employee count. Includes physical library access.
2. WDL Data Product Sales: Sale of individual digital logs and geological reports at $1 each. Also includes printing services for geo reports at $6.40 and color pages at $0.70/foot.
3. KGS Society Membership: Annual memberships to the Kansas Geological Society at $45/year for Active, Associate, and Supporting members, $15/year for students. Includes bi-monthly bulletin, priority access to field trips and technical talks.
4. Trial Memberships: Short-term evaluation memberships at $250 for prospective members to sample the digital and paper database.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Kansas Geological Society Library provides subscription-based access to the Robert F. Walters Digital Geological Library (WDL), a digital archive of over 3.1 million well logs, LAS files, electric logs, drill stem tests, and geologic reports covering Kansas and surrounding areas. Memberships are sold on annual recurring tiers based on company size and production, with individual logs and reports available at $1 each. The offering is complemented by a physical paper library, bi-monthly bulletins, and a virtual technical talks program for petroleum geologists and oil and gas companies.

Product overview

Kansas Geological Society Library operates a unified library system consisting of two interconnected services. The core offering is the Robert F. Walters Digital Geological Library (WDL), a digital platform containing over 3.1 million digital well logs and documents that allows members to search, purchase ($1 per log/geo report), and download LAS files, electric logs, and geo reports. This digital platform is complemented by the Physical (Paper) Library—a historical collection of documents donated by industry since 1923—whose membership is included with WDL membership. Additional offerings include KGS&L Bulletins (bi-monthly PDF publications from 2002-present) and Technical Talks (virtual Zoom presentations by geological professionals). The organization serves geological professionals through tiered membership pricing based on company production levels and employee count.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Robert F. Walters Digital Geological Library (WDL) Membership Annual subscription membership providing digital access to over 3.1 million digital well logs, LAS files, electric logs, drill stem tests, and geo reports covering Kansas and surrounding areas. Members can search, purchase, and download documents through the platform. Tiered pricing for Corporate (Large $5,000, Medium $4,000, Small $2,800) and Independent ($1,400/year or $125/month) accounts.
• Physical (Paper) Library Access On-site access to the physical collection of geological data including geologic reports, electric logs, drill stem tests, well logs, and other documents at the Wichita headquarters. Physical library membership is included with WDL membership and available Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• KGS&L Bulletins Bi-monthly PDF bulletins covering geological research, industry news, and society announcements, with archives available from 2002 to present. Each issue covers a two-month period and is included with KGS membership.
• Technical Talks Program Virtual educational presentations via Zoom featuring geological professionals discussing oil and gas exploration, carbon capture, helium exploration, and other geological topics of interest to petroleum geologists. Open to the public and included with membership.
• KGS Society Membership Annual Kansas Geological Society membership at $45/year for Active, Associate, and Supporting members and $15/year for students, including the bi-monthly bulletin and priority access to field trips and technical talks.
• Trial Membership Short-term evaluation membership at $250 allowing prospective members to sample and evaluate the digital and paper database before committing to full membership.
• Digital Logs and Geo Reports Sales Individual sale of digital logs and geological reports at $1 each through the Walters Digital Library. Also includes printing services for geo reports at $6.40 and color pages at $0.70/foot.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,159,072 digital well logs and documents available through the Robert F. Walters Digital Geological Library
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKGS is an Affiliate Society of the AAPG, providing its members with connection to the largest professional organization for petroleum geologists worldwide. This affiliation enhances credibility and provides access to broader industry resources and events.
• Kansas Geological FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kansas Geological Foundation supports the Society and Library operations. The Foundation is referenced as a related organization at kgfoundation.org.
• Regional Geological SocietiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner societies include Dallas Geological Society, New Orleans Geological Society, Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, Southeastern Geological Society, West Texas Geological Society, Iowa Geological Society, Nevada Petroleum Society, Oklahoma City Geological Society, South Texas Geological Society, and Tulsa Geological Society. Links provided for member reference.
• Kansas Geological SurveycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) at the University of Kansas is the state's primary geological survey organization. KGS and KGS Library collaborate on geological research, data sharing, and educational outreach including joint technical talks and field conferences.
• University Geology DepartmentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with Emporia State University Earth Science, Kansas State University Geology, University of Kansas Geology, Wichita State University Geology, and Fort Hays State University Geology Department. These universities participate in technical talks, field studies, and student presentations at KGS.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CGG: CGG provides multi-client geophysical data libraries and geological interpretation services worldwide. Comparable as a multi-client subsurface data provider serving similar exploration customers, though CGG operates at global scale with seismic acquisition capability KGS lacks.
• Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS): PGS is a major provider of seismic acquisition and multi-client subsurface data libraries serving oil & gas exploration globally. Comparable in the sense of curating large geological data collections for exploration customers, though with a much broader geographic and capital footprint.
• S&P Global Commodity Insights (IHS Market energy data): S&P Global Commodity Insights (built from IHS Markit energy data assets) maintains the industry-standard commercial databases of US well, production, and subsurface data. Directly comparable as a paid well-data subscription product, though covering all of the US rather than a single state.

Direct peers

• American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG): AAPG is the parent national professional society of which KGS is an Affiliate Society. Highly comparable as a membership-driven geological society publishing bulletins, hosting talks, and serving petroleum geologists, though at a national rather than state scale.
• Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG): SEG is a global professional society serving geoscientists with publications, conferences, and educational resources. Comparable to KGS in structure (membership society, bulletins, talks) and overlapping member base in applied geophysics.
• TGS: TGS operates one of the largest global libraries of multi-client subsurface and well data, including extensive seismic and well log archives. KGS competes in concept (geological data library for oil & gas exploration) but at vastly larger, commercial scale.
• Oklahoma City Geological Society (OCGS): OCGS is a regional geological society serving petroleum geologists in Oklahoma with publications, library resources, and educational programming. Near-direct peer to KGS with overlapping Mid-Continent geology focus.
• Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG): RMAG is a regional geological society offering publications, talks, and data resources to geoscientists working the Rocky Mountain region. Closely comparable to KGS in scale, model, and target audience.

Emerging players

• Enverus: Enverus (formerly DrillingInfo/RSEG) provides SaaS-based oil & gas data, analytics, and subsurface intelligence to operators and investors. Comparable as a digital subscription alternative to KGS data, with broader coverage but less historical depth in Kansas specifically.

Others

• Kansas Geological Survey (KGS at University of Kansas): The state geological survey of Kansas, with which the Kansas Geological Society Library maintains a strategic partnership. Comparable in subject matter (Kansas subsurface data) but operates as a state-funded public research institution rather than a member-driven society.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kansas-geological-society-library

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kansas Geological Society Library