The first offshore oil discovery in the Great Salt Lake was made by Amoco Production Co. in late November 1978. The discovery well, No. 1 West Rozel Unit, flowed heavy asphaltic oil using a gas-lift system at a rate of 2 to 5 bbl of oil per hour from perforations at 2,280 to 2,410 ft (695 to 735 m) in a Pliocene basalt. In June 1979, the No. 2 West Rozel Unit, using a water-powered hydraulic pump, had recovery rates from the basalt reservoir of 480 to 1,512 bbl of oil per day from a slotted liner from 2,345 to 2,367 ft (715 to 712 m). Additional production testing is planned to determine if the oil reserves are large enough for commercial development of this discovery.

At present, a total of seven wells have been drilled in the Salt Lake including the two wells drilled at West Rozel. No pre-Miocene Tertiary rocks have been encountered in these wells. Paleozoic and Precambrian rocks have been penetrated below the Miocene sediments.

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