Energy

The Moab Field Office has had a long history of oil and gas exploration. Records from the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (UDOGM, 2004) indicate that approximately 2,027 petroleum wells have been drilled in the Moab Field Office from 1891 through 2004, of which 292 are currently producing, 265 are inactive but capable of producing, 7 are injection wells, and 1,470 are plugged and abandoned (some of which may have been producers at one time). Total cumulative production from fields within the Moab Field Office has been nearly 60 million barrels of oil and 1.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, accounting for over 14% of the total gas and over 4% of the total oil produced in Utah.

These energy resources are found in 34 oil and gas fields (including 20 active fields, 10 inactive fields, and 4 abandoned fields), that range from relatively small gas fields in the Cisco desert, to the giant Lisbon Valley oil field which has produced over 45 million barrels of oil.

Map of Moab Field Office Oil and Gas Fields

Moab Field Office Oil and Gas Fields

The Moab Field Office has been experiencing a significant increase in energy-related work over the past two years.

 
Table 1 indicates the recent trend in Applications for Permit to Drill (APD’s)

 
Table 1 – Oil and Gas Program 
APD’s Received - Moab Field Office
2000
4
2001
17
2002
7
2003
23
2004
26
2005
25
2006
65
2007 (YTD)
47

Table 2 represents production from fields administered by the Moab Field Office since 2000. While production has shown a decline over the past few years, the recent increase in exploration drilling will likely lead to increased production from federal lands in the Field Office. This recent drilling has shown indications of a significant new gas field discovery in an area between Moab and Green River to the northwest. Additional drilling over the next year should provide additional information.

Table 2 – Oil and Gas Production Moab Field Office
Year
Oil (barrels)
Gas (mmcf)
2000
251,194
22,103,439
2001
197,034
23,530,097
2002
175,526
21,390,109
2003
135,182
21,332,816
2004
271,243
20,642,962
2005
223,673
15,111,103
2006   
138,262
13,362,739
 
 
In addition to the drilling activity and oil and gas production from the Moab Field Office, we also routinely work with geophysical companies doing large scale 3-D vibroseis exploration in the area, with two large projects slated for this year.

Recent interest and dramatic price increases in uranium are also spurring a resurgence of uranium exploration and drilling in the area. Before Moab was ever known as a recreation mecca, it was “put on the map” by the rich uranium reserves available on the Colorado Plateau. In fact, Moab was once known as the “uranium capital” of the United States in the 1950’s and 60’s. Many of the roads built by the uranium industry now provide the transportation backdrop for increasingly popular mountain bike and motorized recreation use in the area. Exploratory drilling for additional uranium resources is now in full swing, with at least 10 projects over the past two years.
 
  • LR 2000 Website:   This website was designed for those who work in the oil and gas industry, title companies, utilities, state and local governments, etc. that require access to BLM land and mineral records. Previously the only way a person could access this information was to visit one of the BLM Information Access Centers. This website enables users to access the same information over the Internet. We have provided a tutorial to guide you through the reporting system. If you need assistance, please visit or call the BLM Information Access Center nearest you.  
  • Geocommunicator:  The Land and Mineral Use Records web site is an Internet mapping application within NILS' GeoCommunicator. It allows users to search, locate, and map the BLM's land and mineral use authorizations and mining claims on public lands throughout the United States. Land and mineral use authorizations include such things as oil and gas leases, rights-of-way, mineral leasing, coal leasing, unpatented mining claims, withdrawals, classifications, and land and mineral title.