Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining

What Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining does

The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (OGM) is a state regulatory agency within the Utah Department of Natural Resources, headquartered in Salt Lake City with 27 employees. Founded in 1955, the division oversees responsible development of Utah's energy and mineral resources through six core programs: the Oil and Gas Program, Coal Program, Minerals Program, Abandoned Mine Reclamation (AMR) Program, Orphan Well Plugging Program, and Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program. It regulates approximately 600+ permitted mineral operations spanning over 200 different minerals and thousands of oil and gas wells, with five coal operators producing 7 million short tons valued at $291 million in 2023.

OGM's revenue is derived from permit fees, the Orphan Well Plugging Program's 0.2% levy on the value of oil and gas production (established 1992), and federal grants including a $5 million award from the Department of the Interior's State Orphaned Wells Initial Grant in April 2026. The division holds EPA-granted UIC primacy for Class II injection wells since 1982 and is pursuing Class VI Carbon Sequestration primacy as of December 2025. Its technology platform includes an online permit payment portal, an ArcGIS-based Mineral Mine Map, an Oil and Gas Bonding Calculator, and comprehensive databases of orphan wells and permitted operations verified through field inspections. The division operates with no traditional revenue model beyond regulatory fees and public funding, serving as a state-mandated monopoly over extractive industry oversight in Utah.

Name

Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining

Legal name

Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining

Website

https://ogm.utah.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining is a state regulatory agency overseeing oil, gas, coal, and mineral mining operations in Utah through permitting, inspections, and reclamation programs, serving approximately 600+ permitted mineral operations and thousands of oil and gas wells.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Mining and Energy Regulation

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (213)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAMAJ

Minerals, Mining & Geologic Resources Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration

SECONDARYIMAKAKAJ

Environmental, Permitting & Closure Services (EIA, Compliance Monitoring, Reclamation Execution)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Metals & Mining/Mining Services & Contracting (Exploration, Drilling, Blasting, Mine Operations)

SECONDARYBPALAKAK

Mining & Heavy Metals Remediation (Acid Mine Drainage, tailings-impacted sites)

Business & Public Services/Waste Management & Remediation Services/Environmental Remediation & Site Cleanup (Soil/Groundwater)

Keywords

• Mining regulatory oversight
• Oil and gas permitting
• Mineral resources regulation
• Abandoned mine reclamation
• Orphan well plugging

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Regulatory Fees and Permits: The division charges permit fees for mining operations, including annual large mine permit fees. Additionally, the Orphan Well Plugging Program is funded through a two-tenths of one percent levy on the value of oil and gas production.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining is a state regulatory agency that oversees the responsible development of Utah's oil, gas, coal, and mineral mining resources through permitting, inspection, and reclamation programs. It issues mining and drilling permits, conducts site inspections to verify compliance with state rules, manages an Orphan Well Plugging Program, and administers an Underground Injection Control program under EPA-granted primacy. Operators pay permit fees and a production-value levy to fund oversight, and the division also pursues abandoned mine reclamation for public safety.

Product overview

The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining is a regulatory agency within the Utah Department of Natural Resources, not a commercial product company. It operates a portfolio of regulatory programs overseeing responsible development of Utah's energy and mineral resources. The core offerings include: the Oil and Gas Program (exploration, development, and conservation of oil and gas), Coal Program (permitting and compliance for coal mining), Minerals Program (regulation of non-coal mining including copper, gold, silver, beryllium), Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program (closing hazardous mine openings), Orphan Well Plugging Program (eliminating environmental and safety risks from abandoned wells), and Underground Injection Control Program (UIC primacy for Class II injection wells). Supporting offerings include the Minerals Exploration Tax Credit program and tools like the Bonding Calculator and Mineral Mine Map.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oil and Gas Program Regulatory program promoting the exploration, development, and conservation of oil and natural gas resources in Utah while creating energy-related jobs, boosting local economies, and generating oil and gas tax revenues. Issues drilling permits, oversees bonding, and manages compliance for operators in the Uinta Basin and other regions.
• Coal Program Regulatory program providing permits to coal companies, completing site inspections to confirm compliance, and overseeing the reclamation and bond release process for coal mining operations in Carbon and Emery counties.
• Minerals Program Regulatory program overseeing approximately 600 permitted non-coal mineral operations statewide including large-scale base and precious metals (copper, gold, silver, beryllium), industrial minerals, and unconventional fuels; verifies that operators follow mining and reclamation plans.
• Abandoned Mine Reclamation (AMR) Program Program responsible for closing hazardous mine openings on private property, sealing surface openings, and reclaiming abandoned mine sites to ensure public safety and environmental protection. Recent work includes the Picacho Peak Project phase two (53 hazardous mine openings closed) and Thaynes Canyon Mine Stabilization Project.
• Orphan Well Plugging Program Program established in 1992 to plug abandoned (orphaned) oil and gas wells that pose environmental and safety risks, funded by a two-tenths of one percent levy on the value of oil and gas production. Has plugged 154 wells for $5.8 million since inception, with a current project covering 24 wells (and up to 34 additional) in Uintah Basin and southeastern Utah supported by a $5M federal grant awarded April 2026.
• Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program Program with EPA primacy since 1982 for Class II injection wells, providing oversight of permitting, construction, operation, compliance, and closure of injection wells to safeguard underground sources of drinking water. Pursuing Class VI Carbon Sequestration primacy as of December 2025.
• Minerals Exploration Tax Credit Tax credit program created in 2022 under SB250, providing exploration tax credits for certain non-coal minerals operations, with a maximum credit of $20,000,000 per mine.
• Oil and Gas Bonding Calculator Online tool for calculating production-based bond amounts for oil and gas operators, using production report data from specified periods.
• Mineral Mine Map ArcGIS-based interactive map displaying current mine activity across Utah, including Mine Name, Permit Number, Mine Operator, and Division Lead information.

Quantifiable outcome

• 154 orphan wells plugged since 1992 program inception
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Peak Well ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Utah-based Peak Well Services was awarded a five-year master service agreement to manage downhole operations for the Orphan Well Plugging Program. This contract enables streamlined, statewide approach to orphaned well site restoration, working alongside separate surface reclamation contracts.
• StantecmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 June 2024Stantec was contracted as third-party consultant to conduct the Critical Infrastructure Materials Study required by HB 502 (2024). The study involves inventory assessment, supply-demand analysis, and regulatory recommendations for sand, gravel, and rock aggregate operations across Utah counties.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPA granted Utah UIC primacy for Class II injection wells in 1982. The division currently has a primacy application under review for Class VI Carbon Sequestration as of December 2025. EPA retains regulatory authority over Indian Country lands.
• Utah Petroleum AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in stakeholder presentations to the Board of Oil, Gas and Mining regarding proposed bonding rules in April 2025. Engaged in multi-year rulemaking process including stakeholder meetings from 2022-2024.
• Environmental Defense FundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in stakeholder presentations and submitted comments on proposed oil and gas bonding rules, representing environmental stakeholder perspective in rulemaking process.
• Utah Department of TransportationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in stakeholder meeting for Critical Infrastructure Materials Study on September 10, 2024, as a key end-user of aggregate materials.
• Trust Lands Administration (SITLA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in bonding rules stakeholder meetings and critical infrastructure materials study, representing state land management interests.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation: Montana's state agency overseeing oil and gas, coal, and hard-rock mining regulation and abandoned mine reclamation. Closely comparable scope across oil, gas, coal, and mineral regulatory programs in a neighboring Rocky Mountain state.
• New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department: New Mexico's cabinet department overseeing oil conservation, mining, and reclamation programs. Directly comparable as a state regulator managing oil and gas, coal, and minerals with permitting, bonding, and orphaned/abandoned well responsibilities.
• North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources: North Dakota's state oil and gas regulator with UIC primacy and orphan well responsibilities. Directly comparable as a state-level oil and gas regulator with primacy delegation and orphan well programs in a producing basin.
• California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM): California's state oil, gas, and geothermal regulator with idle/ orphan well management and UIC programs. Directly comparable as a state oil and gas regulator handling permitting, bonding, orphan wells, and UIC primacy.
• Oklahoma Corporation Commission: Oklahoma's state regulatory authority for oil and gas, including UIC primacy and orphaned well plugging. Directly comparable as a state-level oil and gas regulator with primacy delegation, bonding, and orphan well programs analogous to Utah OGM.
• Nevada Division of Minerals: Nevada's state regulator for mining, oil and gas exploration, and abandoned mine safety. Directly comparable as a neighboring state mining/oil-and-gas regulator with permitting, bond, and reclamation functions overlapping Utah OGM's Minerals Program.
• Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety: Colorado's primary state regulator for coal and non-coal mining, reclamation, and abandoned mine safety. Directly comparable mission across mining permitting, inspections, bond management, and AML reclamation, sharing the same Rocky Mountain regulatory environment.
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection: Pennsylvania's primary environmental and mining regulator with active oil and gas, coal, and orphan/abandoned well programs. Directly comparable as a large state regulator covering oil and gas, coal mining, UIC, and orphan well remediation.
• Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality: Wyoming's combined regulator for air, water, land, and mining including Abandoned Mine Land and oil/gas programs. Closely comparable as a Rocky Mountain state agency with coal, oil and gas, mineral, and orphan well remediation mandates similar to Utah OGM.

Broad incumbents

• Texas Railroad Commission: Texas's state-level oil and gas regulator with broader scope including pipeline safety and surface mining oversight. Directly comparable as a peer state regulatory body overseeing oil, gas, and mining operations with permitting, inspections, and orphan/abandoned well programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ut-division-of-oil-gas-and-mining

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining