Sedimentology, diagenesis and trapping style, Mississippian tar springs sandstone, Inman East consolidated field, Gallatin County, Illinois

This paper provides the first comprehensive study of the regional geology and hydrocarbon reservoir character of the Upper Mississippian Tar Springs Sandstone in the Illinois Basin. For this study, the regional depositional patterns and sedimentary environments of this formation in Illinois were examined, and the reservoir geology at a typical location, Inman East Consolidated Field, located in Gallatin County in southeastern Illinois, was characterized in detail. The results of this study can serve as an analogue for the exploration and development of other fields in the Tar Springs Sandstone in southern Illinois.