Amber Martin

Writing 2010
Report
February 21, 2016
Utah Oil and Gas: Is It Worth It?
Utah is renowned for its vast acres of wilderness areas and natural beauty. Millions of
people from all over the world come to enjoy our national parks and monuments each year.
However, underneath all of that beauty lies potential reservoirs of oil and natural gas. These
areas have been fought over between energy companies and conservationists for years. Thus, the
question arises, whos right? Is it really worth drilling?

According to the federal governments Energy Information Administration, of those

national proven reserves the state of Utah holds approximately 1.8% of the nations proved oil
and 2.0% of the nations proved natural gas. A similarly small percentage of oil and gas is
predicted to exist beneath the lands proposed for wilderness designation in Americas Red Rock
Wilderness Act (ARRWA). An analysis completed by researchers at The Wilderness Society
concluded that the technically recoverable undiscovered resources below the lands in ARRWA
amount to less than 4 weeks of natural gas and 1 week of oil (SUWA.org) (see figure above).
This quote is Southern Utah Wilderness Alliances main reason for being so against oil drilling in
Utah. However, upon research, I have discovered these facts to be incorrect. Turns out Utah
actually has a decent amount of oil reserves that have yet to be tapped into. The U.S. Geological
Survey estimated mean undiscovered resources of 214 million barrels of oil, 329 billion cubic
feet of associated/dissolved natural gas, and 14 million barrels of natural gas liquids in the
informal Uteland Butte member of the Green River Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah (USGS.gov).
Much of this oil comes in the form of oil shale deposits in the Green River Formation (pictured
left).

extraction process easier and more profitable, oil shale isnt a realistic option. A report by the
International Energy Agency predicts that the U.S. will become the world's largest oil producer
by 2020 (Farnham, 2013). In addition to the money from the oil and gas, the new developments
could create 552,000 jobs.
On the other hand, outdoor recreation is becoming a very
profitable industry across the nation. According to the
Wilderness Society, outdoor recreation generates $646 billion for
the U.S. economy annually, and results in 6 million direct jobs
(Wilderness.org). Many of the lands that are in contention are
near or part of national park and monument lands. Some in Utah include Arches National Park,
Canyonlands National Park and the Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument. Not only
would these new drilling developments be on profitable recreation lands, but they have been
known to have harmful effects on the lands that they occupy. These side effects include:
disruption of wildlife migration routes and habitats from noise pollution, traffic and fences (see
photo left); Oil spills on land and offshore drilling sites; Landscape changes from well pads and
roads; Oil and gas infrastructure and traffic spoil peaceful settings for visitors; Haze, toxic
chemicals and dust pollute the air and water; Machinery, gas flares and light pollution disrupt
scenic views and clear night skies (Wilderness.org). These side effects have the potential to ruin
the area drilling developments inhabit, as well as the surrounding area, even for many years after
they are long gone. Not only that, but in exchange for ruining the land for generations to come,
the only take out is the exhaustion of a non-renewable resource. Oil and natural gas are limited
commodities. However, the natural beauty of our landscapes, and peoples passion to explore
them will never fade. In fact, national park visitation is on the rise according to an article by John

Rogers for The Enterprise. In June of 2014, the National Park Service reported 1,474,014 visitors
to Zion National Park (pictured right), up 11.4 percent from last year and ahead of the record
pace set in 2012, when there had been 1373,786 halfway through the year and the annual total
nearly reached 3 million.
After analyzing all of these facts and hours of research, I have come to the conclusion
that oil and gas arent worth the damage it will cause. Oil and gas are limited resources and can
only last so long, whereas outdoor recreation is constant that will always be a reliable source of
profit. A possible compromise might be reached
if new technologies made the drilling processes
cleaner and more environmentally friendly. In the
long run, which would you rather have: a scarred
and damaged landscape damaged beyond repair ,
or the rugged beauty of national parks and
monuments preserved in their natural state for you and your prosperity to enjoy for generations
to come?

Works Cited
Franhan, Alan. ABC News. ABC News Network,
13 Nov. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.

Green River Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah." USGS Publications Warehouse RSS. Web. 21 Feb.
2016. <https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/fs20153052>.

Rogers, John. Utah Outdoor Rec On Pace For A Record Year. (Cover Story). Enterprise/Salt
Lake City 43.46 (2014): 1. Supplemental Index. Web. 3 Feb. 2016.

THE FACTS ABOUT OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT ON UTAHS PUBLIC LANDS.
Energy. Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.
<http://suwa.org/app/uploads/OGFactSheet_May2015.pdf>.

"Wilderness.org." Infographic: These 12 Places Are Too Wild to Drill. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
<http://wilderness.org/infographic-these-12-places-are-too-wild-drill>.

Wilderness.org. Six Ways Oil and Gas Drilling Is Bad News for the Environment. The
Wilderness Society. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.

"Utah Key Player in Future Oil Shale Development." Utah Geological Survey. Web. 21 Feb.
2016.<http://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/utah-key-player-in-future-oil-shaledevelopment/>.

Photos
Utah Oil Statistics: http://suwa.org/app/uploads/OGFactSheet_May2015.pdf
Green River Formation: http://suwa.org/issues/energy-development/

Oil shale sample: http://geology.utah.gov/resources/energy/oil-shale/

Zions National Park: http://www.grindtv.com/travel/hiking-the-narrows-in-zion-national-park/