Utah's Natural Resources List

The state of Utah has many wide-open expanses of land, including mountains, deserts and forests. Among Utah's diverse natural resources are several that contribute to making various products or producing energy for electricity or combustion engines. The Utah State Government has a Division of Natural Resources, which is charged with managing the state's natural resources.

According to the Utah Division of Natural Resources, there are over 15 open coal mines in Utah. The majority of the coal mines are located in the central part of the state. A large coal processing plant named Covol is located in South Jordan, near Salt Lake City. The coal is used mostly to generate electricity. Utah's coal is also used to make tar, plastics, fertilizers and some medicines.

Utah's Kennecott Copper Mine, located just west of Salt Lake City, is the highest- producing copper mine in the world. So far, the mine has produced 18.1 million tons of copper. Kennecott Copper Mine is 2.75 miles across and three-fourths mile deep, large enough to be visible from space. Copper is used to make pennies, electrical wiring, car parts and other products.

Utah ranks number 8 in the United States for the production of natural gas and number 13 in the country for the production of crude oil, according to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining. Some 8,600 oil and natural gas wells are operating within the boundaries of the State of Utah, about 3,000 of which are oil wells. Due to the abundance of natural gas in the state, Utah has one of the highest percentages of households heated by natural gas.