Comments about ‘Utah's oil, gas industry fighting to recover from recession’

Utah should be #1 in oil production; not in the U.S. but in the world! Why not? We have vast reserves ready for harvest. Utah could easily become the hub of jobs and prosperity. All we have to do is stand up to Federal regulators and become an independent and sovereign state once more. We could be a beacon of hope to the remaining 49 states and place America back on track to being the great manufacturing, producing, exporting, non debtor nation that made us the envy of humanity. This would be my Fourth of July dream because this would be true freedom.

My fourth of july dream is knowledge. People need to know that the oil and gas industry is quite small in utah because there just isn't much oil and gas here to develop, even at current oil prices. Gas is way to cheap right now. The industry will recover as prices increase, but the next saudi field is not in our backyard.

@ Hutterite

Uhhhh huh

"The biggest reason companies are still drilling is the price of oil," he said. "If that were to drop, we'd see a drop in the interest."

Nice rebuttal Jonathan, now how bout you tell us how Utah can be a world producer of oil?
"Build it, and it will flow." probably isn't gunna work out in the long or short run.
Strip mining for every hydrocarbon out their, will only leave holes and plateaus for
future generations to clean up after, without the benefit of even having using them.

We can't dig our way out of the hydrocarbon hole, anymore than you can spend your way
out of debt.

Yet people like jonathan apparently believe oil is whereever you drill.

@Happy Valley Heretic: Sure, we can stop using natural resources to "save the environment"... but what happens when increased costs from "green" energy send our already bankrupt nation into collapse?

We do have a duty to protect our environment. But we also have a duty to survive as a people. The eco-greenies have forgotten that our government is what's protecting those lands. If it has to make cuts you'd better believe money will be taken from environmental protection. If the nation goes belly up there won't be anyone left to protect anything.

Sure, we can stop using natural resources to "save the environment"... but what happens when increased costs from "green" energy send our already bankrupt nation into collapse?

If our dependance on oil sends our country into collapse than the terrorist won.
I'm not suggesting we stop using, just that more effort be put into renewable resources.

In 1911 America had electric cars, some of which had 150-200 mile range, granted that was only at 20 mph, but that was 100 years ago, I think we can do better. I dont believe that American ingenuity is limited to Hydrocarbon derivitives.
Its time to take notice of the oil companies involvement in stopping development of alternative energy ideas.
Or we can keep doing things how we have always done them and hope for a different outcome.