Layer Intersection

Layer intersection allows you to compare two layers and return only the objects that overlap. This is useful for finding geospatial relationships between datasets, such as identifying wells that fall within a protected environmental boundary or identifying mineral leases within the outline of a geological play.

Generating a Layer Intersection

1. Add both layers of interest to your workspace.

2. Select the columns from each layer that you want to include in the joined attribute table after the intersection.

3. Click Import / Tools → Layer Intersection.

1. In the dialog, choose the two layers you want to intersect.

2. Click Generate. Depending on the size of the intersection, processing may take some time. You can close the menu while it runs in the background and check progress under Jobs and Exports.

A user wants to determine which of their wells are in the Caribou Range. They select their well list 'My Wells' and the 'Caribou Range' to intersect in the layer intersection dialog

If there is overlap between these two layers, a new layer will be created in your workspace that consists of the objects that overlap between the two selected layers.

In yellow are the 536 wells found within the Caribou Range from the total well list size of 6020.

Intersection Results

The layer will include attributes from the join of the two attribute tables used in the intersection. To make sure the intersection result contains the attributes you need, select the desired columns in the attribute table before running the intersection.

For example, consider the intersection of the following two layers:

My Wells (Layer 1) - with only 4 columns in attribute table

Well ID	Operator	Status	Licence Date
102/01-15-009-01W5/00	ExxonMobil Inc.	Abandoned	01/01/1952

Environmental Protected Area (Layer 2) - with only 2 columns in attribute table

Zone Area	Area (Ha)
EPA - Fox Creek	5,000

The intersection will result in:

Layer Intersection - My Wells & EPA - Fox Creek (Layer 3) - 6 columns in attribute table

a_Well_ID	a_Operator	a_Status	a_licence_date	b_zone_area	b_area(ha
102/01-15-009-01W5/00	ExxonMobil Inc.	Abandoned	01/01/1952	EPA - Fox Creek	5,000

The resulting layer includes only objects that were found in the intersection and joins together all of the attributes from both tables. In the above example, you can interpret the table to show that the well 102/01-15-009-01W5/00 was found within the EPA - Fox Creek polygon.

Converting to a Well List

The layer created from an intersection is a GIS layer and not a well list. This means you cannot view production or run well exports directly from it.

To convert the result into a well list:

1. Export the layer by clicking the Jobs and Export button and exporting the table.

2. From the exported table, take the list of UWIs and re-import it into Maps.

3. Once imported, the layer becomes a regular well list with full well details, production, and export options.

Limitations and Errors

Not all layers can be intersected. Some larger public layers, such as Wells and Mineral Rights, cannot be intersected due to processing limitations.

If no intersections are returned, check that one of the layers is a polygon layer. Line layers that only represent boundaries will not capture objects inside them. A polygon is required for intersections to work properly.