We need to take into account both real world factors and in universe ones.
We know there are resource issues in Spartan Ops. It’s likely we will still play on some locations a number of times. It is highly possible that they will use some multiplayer maps as well.
Canonically, there are three types of places missions could take place. Human, Covenant and Forerunner. It’s not likely we’ll be going to any Covenant planets in Spartan Ops, such things will be left for a Campaign.
We know humanity (and Infinity in particular) are searching for Forerunner locations.
With this in mind I think the multiplayer maps are a good place to start. War Games simulations are based on “real” locations. This would suggest that every map is somewhere that has been found, or will be found in the near future.
It’s safe to say that Forge maps wont be used, nor will any maps used in Season 1 or that we know to take place on Requiem. Some from the past can not be used either (such as Harvest) as the location has been destroyed.
This removes; Haven, Complex, Erosion, Harvest, Impact, Landfall, Ragnarok, Ravine and Vortex. It’s also possible that other map pack locations may not be useable but we can’t say for sure.
So we could be left with; Abandon, Adrift, Exile, Longbow, Meltdown, Monolith, Shatter, Skyline, Solace, Wreckage and perhaps the maps from the Castle map pack.
So we have the possibility of Crimson being sent to the research station on Abandon, perhaps discovering whatever caused it to be Abandoned.
We have the ship that Adrift is set on, which is trapped in a gas giant. Why we would go there is beyond me.
We have the crash site that makes up Exile, perhaps we will find more survivors there or perhaps our enemies will be exploring the Diadochi’s remains.
We have the area nearby a Forerunner reactor on an unknown moon (Meltdown). Going there would certainly fit in with the search for Forerunner artefacts.
We have an abandoned mining station on Chi Ceti IV’s moon (Shatter). Perhaps enemy forces have tried to take the mine as their own and make use of harvested materials.
We have Skyline’s reconstruction site though I don’t see that being particularly useful for a level.
We could discover the memorial that makes up Monolith though both the canonically possible Majestic maps are likely too small for a Spops location.
Longbow Station on Concord is a possibility. The outer plated legs tell us there was an incident on Concord in 2554. Perhaps we’ll explore something connected to that.
Wreckage gives us the opportunity to explore a Line Installation. The issue here is that things are generally shot down, thus it is likely we would have to be aboard another ship rather than Infinity.
Solace takes place on a Forerunner installation suspending the collapse of a sun.
Now, there are many ways they could work these into the game. Generally, for an ongoing story it would require more levels to be made in the same area. Lets take Wreckage, we could crash there and set up a base while Covenant forces do the same. This would give us the multiplayer map area. To allow rescue we would need to disable the weapon part of the installation, possibly by entering the large structures we see. So, perhaps we pursued the Covenant, were both shot down, set up a makeshift base, made our way into the structures and disabled them. That could be one Episode, perhaps introducing us to a Line Installation Monitor to move the overall story forward.
So from these maps we have a number of possibilities already.
