Oil and Gas Infrastructure

One more on infrastructure, this one showing mostly privately owned wells and pipelines, and publicly owned resources. The source for this is the piece entitled “The United States of Oil and Gas” that appeared in February 14 issue of The Washington Post. Click through for many more and better graphics.

The oil is in green and the gas is in purple. In Utah, when we think of oil production we think about Vernal, but note how small that field is compared to other parts of the country.

The trick for a 21st century economy is getting the oil and gas from where it comes out of the ground to where it can be used. The oil and gas pipelines shown pass about 15 miles west of town; you can see them out by the Wecco facility.

It’s hard to tell from the map below, but the gray areas are the earlier gas wells in this area. They did not use horizontal drilling of fracking. Note that they extend into New York. But, for better or worse, New York has largely banned horizontal drilling and fracking, which is why the yellow and red dots pretty much stop at the border.

Part of the reason the estabishment of the Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah is controversial within our state, again right or wrong, is that it’s right in the middle of a large field of relatively unexploited oil (you can see this if you click through to the article). It’s been presented in the media as an issue of Native American rights (and it is), and tourism (and it is), but it’s also about the Obama administrations interests in blocking the oil industry.