This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Oil and natural gas exploration in Utah has never been greater.
The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining said there are more than 10,000 producing oil and gas wells for the first time in the state's history. Almost two-thirds (6,328) involved drilling for natural gas.
"That's a significant milestone in the history of oil and gas drilling in our state," said John Rogers, the division's associate director for oil and gas. "The first oil well in our state was drilled in 1891. Producing wells continued to increase through the years, hovering in the 8,000 to 9,000 range for the last decade."
But new technology has "opened up new areas for exploration and has added significantly to production in Utah," he added.
Rogers said Utah ranks ninth nationally in natural gas production and 11th in generating crude oil, with last year's total of 24.6 million barrels of oil representing its largest output since 1991. Together, the estimated value of oil and gas production was more than $3.4 billion.
Utah has four of the nation's 100 largest oil fields and two of its top 100 gas fields, he added, noting that 13,206 of the 20,355 oil and gas wells drilled in the state are still open for potential production.
Mike Gorrell