Reader comments
State isn't a major player in oil industry despite abundant reserves

Expolit | 4:44 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

If we do not have enough water for the production of oil, ship it by rail to the north where we have plenty of water. It must be of some value even for road surfacing. And to cut the cost the Deseret News staff would have no problem of using illegal immigration.
The use of chain gangs, and illegal immigration built our rail roads by exploitation in the early years. Illegal immigration to the rich is nothing but a commodity, always has always will be. Just look at the low minimum wage accepted by Utah and you will see I have made my point.

Detail man | 6:33 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

Someone ought to fact check your stories. A billion barrels a day in Canada?

liberal larry | 6:49 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

I hope Utah takes the same attitude as Gov. Lamm. That oil and gas isn't going any where, we should be in no hurry to tear up Utah, to get at it.

Comments continue below

No surprise | 9:04 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

It is no surprise to those who know the history of Utah that every needful resource would be here for our benefit. Before being settled, the Salt Lake Valley and subsequent valleys in every direction were considered almost barren when compared to the East and even California. Yet it has since been discovered that rich resources of minerals, metals and stone are here in abundance. Why would we discount or be surprised that a vast oil reserve lies beneath us? But the real question is why would we continue to be beholding to the unstable and militant middle east when we have such a resource? I have heard it said that it is short-sighted and dangerous to develop these oil reserves what with the enviromental and other concerns. But could there be anything more short-sighted than ignoring this gift from our Maker while we continue to sell our soul to Saudis. I love Utah and dont want to see her become an oil field waste land but with today's technology the enviroment can be protected while utilizing resources that are intended for us to have.

Chance | 9:16 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

Maybe Utah gets filthy rich with the oil, and lives happily ever after buying up more land in the midwest,:) Or... The Feds declare a federal emergency and move in to acquire the oil to reduce dependancy on foreign oil, Maybe they will pay Utahn's for it, but I doubt it. If this happens, Utahn's will probably move on to greener pastueres while continuing to buy more land in the midwest. :) Maybe they would consider a tradefor some land or something? Anyways, I think that oil is a precious comoddity now, but sooner or later, it will not be so desired. The stone age did not disappear because they ran out of rocks. As a nation, we should put our efforts into renewable energy. Lead the world as we usually do.

Dean | 9:21 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

I agree with the above post (no surprise). Those who want to ignore the fact that we need oil, at least for now, to run our economy don't have anyone's best interests at heart. The oil, and every other resource, were placed here for our use. To be used with judgment and skill. We can, and should, use the oil without destroying the beauty of the lands in our state.
In the mean time, research is under way to find ways to replace the need for oil. But until the alternatives are in place, we need to use the oil we have in our own country.

Curious | 10:04 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

One question: where do we get the water from for processing the oil shale?

Hatuletoh | 10:08 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

To the "God put it here for our use" crowd:

I realize that this is a religious belief for you, but I think it's one that needs a little updating for the 21st century. Some of those resources that the lord graciously provided don't quite seem to replenish themselves. At least not fast enough to be of any help to us mortals. Like with most public policy issues, better to rely more upon the divine gift of Reason than the divine gift of Faith. Just in case God isn't offering seconds.

Better Informed than the D-news | 10:09 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

This article made no mention of in-situ oil shale extraction. This will most likely be the way that the oil shale gets produced. In-situ extraction means that wells will be drilled into the kerogen-rich layers of the Green River Formation and used to heat the underground layers to a point that oil will be released. The mobilized oil will then be extracted from from the sub-surface using production wells that are drilled adjactent to the heat injectors. Shell has a small pilot project going on as we speak in the Pieance Basin in NorthWest Colorado using downhole electrical heaters that has been rumored to be successful. There are several other companies trying to use related in-situ technology to extract oil such as injecting air and gas to create an underground fire to heat the rocks, or inject very hot air or other gases. If these are proven successful, then you will start seeing a lot of activity in oil-shale exploration. Most would agree that the proven strip mining of oil-shale and surface retort processes will never happen on a large scale in eastern Utah and Colorado due to environmental and political pressures.

Better informed than the D-news | 10:15 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

After submitting my comments, I realized that In-situ processes were briefly mentioned, but not elaborated on. People need to understand the facts before jumping to conclusions and I don't believe that this article gave justice to all of the research that has gone into converting kerogen-rich rock (oil-shale) into crude oil.

Burnt Bacon | 10:45 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

If shale oil is such a good Idea why don't you invest your own money. Shale oil didn't work before and probably won't work in the future because it still doesn't make economic sense even at $100 a barrel oil. At $125 and $150 which is coming later this year, a lot of things will be coming out of the woodwork. Get use to it. You probably will not see $2 gas, even $3 gas again. Time to look at you lifestyle and land use if your wallet capacity is fixed as mine is. The era of cheap energy is OVER!!!

Cheap energy | 11:42 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

Discover magazine ran an article a while ago about a process called thermal conversion that can produce fuel grade oil--with water as the byproduct--from all the waste our society produces. There is already a pilot plant in Philadelphia that successfully employs the process, and a full production facility being built in Missouri. We could empty our landfills and power our society on the results if this could get some serious government help. Cheap energy is available, it just needs a little help and public awarness to become commercially viable.

Why Wait | 11:58 a.m. Jan. 14, 2008

For as long as there have been disagreements about drilling for oil, the anti-drilling crowd has used the argument "what's your hurry--save it for later."

What are you waiting for? If $100/barrel oil (and rising) isn't a red flag to gear up domestic oil production, what is? If you wait until something catastrophic happens, it's too late. You can't produce new oil in a day--it takes a couple of years to ramp up production.

The Tabiona Kid | 12:12 p.m. Jan. 14, 2008

How about a nuclear Reactor in the White River area, and the disapated steam used for shale extraction?

Energy independance our future | 12:31 p.m. Jan. 14, 2008

There are many alternatives for energy out there. The biggest hold is the status quo. The very big and profitable oil companies have no incentives to change while making record profits.

The state has done nothing to encourage alternative engergy development. Bordering states such as Wyoming are developing wind power systems and are way ahead of Utah.

E85 fuel can be produced using many different inexpensive sources besides corn (i.e. switch grass, ect). If car manufactures would make E85 engines as standard engines that can still use regular fuel as well E85 fuel and state and federal regulations encouraged alternative developments we can elimanate our dependance on foreign sources for energy.

Divine gift of Reason? | 1:18 p.m. Jan. 14, 2008

I recognize that to you your 21st century "divine gift of Reason" trumps anything that God could have done and foreseen for our needs but please dont discount what we do have before there is a better solution. If only by coincedence, no one argues that the oil is there and that we know how to use it. I am all for resources that "replenish" themselves I just haven't found any yet. Please dont tell this old GM engineer that battery powered cars are the best we can do. Take any battery powered device and see how that battery ends up. No doubt they have come a long way but they do not replenish themselves in fact the dirty little secret is that even the best ones become less efficient every time you cycle them. There is a reason that the only component that has not been truly replaced on the automobile is the combustion engine. There simply isn't anything better yet. It is not politically correct or 21st century to say that but that is the fact for now. I would welcome your contribution to replenishable resources. While we work on that let's go get the stuff that works!

It Ain't Ethanol | 1:35 p.m. Jan. 14, 2008

Do a little research and you'll find what a bad idea ethanol is. 1) Uses farmland for fuel instead of food. 2) Uses fresh water resources. 3) Uses fertilizers, which create groundwater pollution. 4) Uses fuel to farm it. 5) Contains less energy than gasoline & diesel, so you have to burn more. 6) Exhaust isn't that clean--makes smog worse than gasoline does. Etc., etc., etc.

If there's a gasoline/diesel substitute in our future, it ain't ethanol.

Please, leave the "divine gift" reasoning out of this discussion--it is only useful with people of your same religion. (I'm LDS, but don't try that kind of reasoning in public policy because it isn't effective and leads off on tangents).

Anonymous | 3:27 p.m. Jan. 14, 2008

The mormons don't have divine gift theory cornered.
Ever hear of "manifest destiny"?

RE: It ain't ethanol | 3:40 p.m. Jan. 14, 2008

You are absolutely right on ethanol on all accounts. I have studied these supposed alternative solutions at length and each currently has a tremendous downside. You are likely correct as well about the uselessness of discussing my belief that this issue was considered and accounted for long before our "gift of reasoning" left God out of the solution. However this kind of reasoning is so foreign to me that I cant even discuss it if we are going to rely on our experience and education alone.

Burnt Bacon | 4:18 p.m. Jan. 14, 2008

An interesting bit of news I just read in a financial newsletter: The USGS in a 2000 study predicted that the world would find approximately 21 billion barrels of oil per year in the period 1995-2025. In actuality we only realized 9 billion barrels of oil discover per year in the years 1995-2003, 60% less than forecast.

The trend is clear, drilling more and finding less. Those of you who are familiar with the M. K. Hubbert Peak Oil Curve should realize what is happening. Those of you who are clueless should maybe do a little google research!

May West | 7:05 p.m. Jan. 14, 2008

Leave the oil where it is. We should continue to purchase foreign oil until their reserves are depleted. Bush has it backwards.

Anonymous | 4:27 a.m. Jan. 15, 2008

We should be using our talents in this country to
find alternative energy.What happened to nuclear Fusion.

Kirk Sorensen | 8:36 a.m. Jan. 15, 2008

"We should be using our talents in this country to
find alternative energy."

We are. I'm working on thorium.

"What happened to nuclear Fusion."

Fusion is really hard for the simple reason that charged particles (in this case, fully ionized deuterons and tritons) tend to repel each other, more and more strongly the closer they get. Only at very close ranges can the strong nuclear force overcome electrostatic repulsion and a fusion reaction take place.

Nuclear fission, on the other hand, is very easy by comparison because a neutral particle, the neutron, hits the nucleus and destabilizes it, releasing some the nuclear binding energy stored in the nucleus. The nucleus doesn't "know" the neutron is coming (by feeling electrostatic repulsion) and thus reaction rates are far higher.

reply to Mae West | 10:14 a.m. Jan. 15, 2008

You have a bad case of NOT IN MY BACK YARD. So do the greenies and they also do not want wars. How do continue buying oil and gas from countries who hate our guts if they either price it beyond our reach, sell only to China and what is left, we can buy, or refuse to sell it to the US period. Do you want to continue sending monies to people such as Chavez or the "Saddam"s of the world??

reply to reply to Mae West | 7:01 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Well, I like water coming out of my tap too, "reply to Mae West". And when we ask about what will happen to the Southwest's Colorado River water we either get told "shale extraction uses no water, shut up stupid greenie" or "you'll have to sacrifice for the good of the nation and shut up stupid greenie."
We need a clear water policy covering the states of the Colorado compact so we can prepare properly.

Oilfield Non-Trash | 3:52 a.m. Sept. 11, 2008

There is another source for water. Thousands of barrels of water each day. It is the produced water from nearly every oil or gas well in the Uintah Basin. It costs the production companies millions of dollars each year to dispose of it. If this water were to be used, it would spare our precious natural water resources, at least to a great extent.

Annually, Utah only produces about one days worth of our nations crude oil consumption. It will take several years to get the infrastructure in place to change that. Exploration and production of oil and natural gas is a very time consuming process. We should get our rears in gear. When Iran takes over the entire Middle East after we pull out our troops, we wont be getting ANY crude from that region.

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Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. swaps a cowboy hat for a hard hat during a visit to the Pioneer Oil drilling rig
in the Uinta Basin in 2005. Utah's oil and natural gas production has climbed steadily for years.

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