Getting your player ready...
SALT LAKE CITY—An oil company has agreed to minimize the visual impact of drilling at scenic Hatch Point, which overlooks Canyonlands National Park.
Equity Oil Co., a subsidiary of Denver-based Whiting Petroleum Corp., negotiated the agreement with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, which considers Hatch Point worthy of a wilderness designation by Congress.
Whiting Petroleum spokesman Jack Ekstrom says the company will consult with SUWA on discreet locations on three lease parcels for any drilling rigs or pumps.
Ekstrom says the company hasn’t decided where to drill yet—it’s still exploring for underground oil or gas deposits.
SUWA staff attorney Morgan Wyenn says the agreement protects scenic vistas near Canyonlands.
