# Aux Vases Sandstone Mineral Rights in the Illinois Basin

The Aux Vases Sandstone is a Late Mississippian-age formation that serves as the dominant oil-producing unit across the Illinois Basin. This shallow sandstone formation (1,500-3,000 feet depth) supports extensive waterflood operations in southern Illinois, southwestern Indiana, and Western Kentucky. Mineral owners in the region frequently receive royalty income from Aux Vases production, often co-produced with the Cypress and McClosky formations in the same wellbore.

## Key Takeaways

- **Aux Vases is the primary Illinois Basin oil producer** — a Late Mississippian (Chesterian) sandstone formation approximately 340 million years old that dominates regional oil production
- **Typical producing depth ranges from 1,500 to 3,000 feet TVD** — making it a relatively shallow target compared to deeper unconventional plays
- **Active production spans three states** — major producing counties include White, Wayne, Hamilton, and Saline in Illinois; Posey, Gibson, and Knox in Indiana; and Henderson, Daviess, and Hopkins in Kentucky
- **Waterflood operations have sustained production for nearly a century** — the formation's high porosity and good permeability support ongoing enhanced recovery efforts across hundreds of fields
- **Often co-produced with adjacent formations** — Aux Vases wells frequently produce from stacked intervals including the overlying Cypress Sandstone and underlying McClosky (Renault) Limestone
- **Stratigraphic position is well-defined** — the formation underlies the Cypress Sandstone and overlies the Renault Limestone, making it a reliable target for operators
- **Fine- to medium-grained sandstone with favorable reservoir characteristics** — lithology supports both primary and secondary recovery methods
- **Buckhead Energy purchases Aux Vases mineral and royalty interests** — direct acquisition across all producing counties in the Illinois Basin

## Page Highlights

**Formation Overview**: The Aux Vases is a Late Mississippian sandstone formation sitting at 1,500-3,000 feet depth that produces oil continuously across the Illinois Basin through waterflood operations dating back nearly 100 years.

**Geological Characteristics**: Fine- to medium-grained sandstone with high porosity and good permeability, positioned stratigraphically between the Cypress Sandstone above and Renault Limestone below.

**Geographic Extent**: Major production occurs in Illinois counties (White, Wayne, Hamilton, Saline, Gallatin, Marion, Clay, Effingham, Edwards, Richland, Jasper, Wabash, Crawford, Lawrence), Indiana counties (Posey, Gibson, Knox, Daviess, Pike, Sullivan, Greene, Vigo, Warrick), and Kentucky counties (Henderson, Daviess, Hopkins, Webster, Union, McLean, Ohio, Muhlenberg).

**Major Producing Fields**: Top fields include Clay City Consolidated, Salem Consolidated, Loudon Field, New Harmony Consolidated, Mt. Carmel Field, Lawrence Field, Bridgeport Field, Olney Consolidated, and Westfield Field.

**Mineral Rights Sales**: Buckhead Energy offers free written valuations for mineral owners considering selling Aux Vases interests, with 18+ years of direct buying experience.

## Related Topics

- [Illinois Basin Definitive Guide](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/illinois-basin) (referenced on page)
- [How to Sell Mineral Rights](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/how-to-sell-mineral-rights) (related guide)
- [What Are My Minerals Worth?](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/what-are-my-minerals-worth) (related guide)
- [Should I Sell?](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/should-i-sell) (related guide)
- [Beginner's Guide](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/beginners-guide) (related guide)
- [Getting a Fair Price](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/getting-a-fair-price) (related guide)

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**About Buckhead Energy**: Buckhead Energy is a BBB-accredited mineral rights acquisition company purchasing directly from mineral owners across 33 states since 2007.  
[Get your free mineral valuation](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell) — no-obligation written offers for mineral and royalty interests.