(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tanker trucks carry oil through Utah’s Indian Canyon on U.S. Highway 191 on Aug. 5, 2022 from the Uinta Basin to the Wildcat Loadout, now controlled by Finley Resources, a Texas-based oil producer. The old coal-handling facility outside Helper has been repurposed for transloading oil that is ultimately shipped to Gulf Coast refineries. Finley is moving more than 20,000 barrels a day through the loadout, which it plans to expand to handle 100.000 barrels.
Brian Maffly has worked for The Tribune off and on since 1994. Maffly roams Utah, covering public land and environment.