Proposed Great Salt Lake Oil Drilling Worries Art Enthusiasts

Presented by KUTV.Com.

Written by Justin Burch - KUTV Greener Living

Pearl Montana Exploration and Production Ltd. of Alberta, a Canadian company, is proceeding with an oil-drilling plan for the Great Salt Lake despite opposition from environmental groups and supporters of the Spiral Jetty. The Spiral Jetty, a famous land art sculpture constructed by Robert Smithson in 1970, is owned by the New York-based Dia Art Foundation.

Pearl Montana is currently amidst the permitting process, but the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining wants to gather more information about the project’s impact. Consideration of drilling permits could be dropped in mid-July if the state fails to receive the requested information.

According to officials with Pearl Montana, the company has considered “the environmental and local cultural sensitivity” of the area, asserting that drilling operations would attempt “to limit the impact as much as possible.”

The proposed drilling would take place seven miles west of the Spiral Jetty in the north end of the Great Salt Lake. According to Pearl Montana, an oil rig would be visible from the shore during initial drilling operations, but the smaller wellhead replacing the rig would be difficult to spot. The oil extracted from the lake would be used to create asphalt and similar products, as the oil’s thickness and high sulfur level prevent it from being used as gasoline.

During the open comment period, state officials received thousands of responses, most in opposition to the proposed drilling. The Dia Art Foundation is also trying to erect a buffer zone around the Spiral Jetty, but have experienced difficulty as numerous drilling and exploration firms hold rights to the land in question.

©2008 Four Points Media Group. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Email this Article