The South Dakota Oil and Gas Association (SDOGA) announces TransCanada’s Larry Scheuerman, Director of Project Development for the Keystone XL pipeline project will be a featured speaker at the 2014 Black Hills Bakken and Investor Conference October 1 and 2. The conference will be held at the Spearfish Holiday Inn Convention Center in Spearfish, S.D.

Scheuerman is responsible for the development of non-regulated Canadian and US oil and gas projects including pipelines and facilities from prospect to commencement of implementation.  Scheuerman brings over 35 years experience in oil and gas pipeline and facility construction and project development completing several projects within North America and internationally. Scheuerman will give attendees to the conference a highly anticipated update discussing the opportunities and future of the Keystone XL pipeline in South Dakota and the northern portion of the project.

According to the U.S. Department of State’s FSEIS, the Keystone XL project spending would support approximately 42,100 jobs (direct, indirect, and induced), and approximately $2 billion dollars in earnings throughout the United States. Of these jobs, approximately 3,900 would be direct construction jobs in the proposed project area, which includes South Dakota. Property tax revenue during operations would be substantial for many counties, with an increase of 10 percent or more in 17 of the 27 counties with proposed Project Facilities.

South Dakota Oil and Gas Association’s Executive Director Adam Martin states, “We are excited to have Mr. Scheuerman speaking. This update comes at a critical time in United States and South Dakota history. The project would help support economic growth in our smaller rural communities and create good paying jobs with needed health benefits. The delays to approve the Keystone XL project continue to make it harder for our farmers and ranchers to have grain products like corn and soybeans delivered by rail. Unfortunately the longer the project is delayed, the rising costs to construct the pipeline will result in those costs being passed down to the consumer. It’s a counter-productive delay that will end up costing our farmers, ranchers, and the American taxpayer. We’ve lost too many opportunities by the delay, and we need the infrastructure. We need to get these opportunities back. It’s time to approve and build the Keystone XL.”

Sources: http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/221135.pdf

More information about speakers of the conference can be found at: www.BlackHillsBakkenConference.com

Chris Faulkner, aka the “Frack Master” will be one of the featured speakers at the 2014 Black Hills Bakken & Investor Conference October 1 and 2, at the Spearfish Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Spearfish, S.D.

Faulkner is the founder and CEO of Dallas-based Breitling Energy Corporation, an oil and natural gas exploration and production company.  He is the author of The Fracking Truth and producer of the movie Breaking Free: The Shale Rock Revolution.

Faulkner is not shy when it comes to supporting the fracking revolution. According to Faulkner, “Opposition to fracking is driven by junk science and green activist hysteria.”

In an article he wrote for the Los Angeles Register, Faulkner states the following: “Take the argument that fracking contaminates groundwater. The Environmental Protection Agency has extensively investigated this idea and concluded that 1.2 million wells have been hydraulically fractured without a single confirmed case of groundwater contamination.”

Faulkner goes on, “Environmentalists also argue that the technique uses too much water. But it actually takes a mere three gallons of water to create 1 million “BTUs” – the industry standard measurement – of shale gas energy. Producing that same amount of ethanol energy – an environmentalist favorite – requires 15,000 gallons.”

Faulkner, who also co-hosts Powering America Radio, will speak on oil and gas independence in America and how fracking has played the integral part in America’s move toward freedom from foreign oil. After speaking, Faulkner will be presenting a private viewing of the Breaking Free movie exclusively to attendees.

The Black Hills Bakken and Investor Conference is hosted by the South Dakota Oil and Gas Association in conjunction with Black Hills Expo Group.

More information about the Black Hills Bakken and Investor Conference can be found at www.BlackHillsBakkenConference.com

For more information contact:
Branden Bestgen (pronounced bes-jen)
Black Hills Expo Group, LLC
branden@bestgen.us
605-644-6005

Or 

Adam Martin, Executive Director
South Dakota Oil & Gas Association
adam.martin@sdoil.org
605-644-6355

WASHINGTON, D.C. –North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) Vice President Kari Cutting will testify before two U.S. House subcommittees today on the subject of Bakken Petroleum: The Substance of Energy Independence.
In her testimony to the House Subcommittee on Energy and Subcommittee on Oversight, Cutting will address the industry’s safety record and goals, the qualities of Bakken crude, the steps taken by the industry to properly classify and ship Bakken crude oil, and steps taken to ensure emergency responders are prepared to handle any incidences that may occur.

“Three independent studies have now shown that Bakken crude is similar to other North American light, sweet crude oils in gravity, vapor pressure, flash point and initial boiling point,” says Cutting. “According to these studies, Bakken crude oil chemical properties attest to its proper classification as a Class 3 flammable liquid. This category contains most of the valuable fuels and fuel feed stocks offered for transportation in the United States.”

With the increase of Bakken crude being shipped by rail, however, Cutting stressed the industry’s continued commitment to safely handling and transporting this cargo, including its partnership with railroads and local responders to develop a common educational tool to be distributed broadly to fire departments either through web portal or DVDs. This information is available for companies to use in continued interaction with EMS personnel.

The oil and gas industry will also continue development of additional response resources and periodic meetings to keep the lines of communication open to maximize information sharing of the latest data on emergency response for crude and other flammable liquids incidents.

“Hazardous Materials transported by rail arrive safely at their destination 99.997% of the time, but all stakeholders recognize the importance of implementing additional safety measures to reduce the probability of the remaining 0.003%,” says Cutting. “Routing analysis, infrastructure inspection and maintenance, railcar design, and additional training and information for Emergency Management personnel are all efforts being addressed.”

The joint hearing of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Subcommittee will begin at 2:00 p.m. EDT. The hearing may be viewed online at http://science.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-energy-and-subcommittee-oversight-joint-hearing-bakken-petroleum-substance.

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ATTACHMENT: Cutting Testimony

For media inquiries, contact Tessa Sandstrom by email. (I will not be reachable via telephone, so please email with questions).

Since 1952, the North Dakota Petroleum Council has been the primary voice of the oil and gas industry in North Dakota. The Petroleum Council represents more than 525 companies involved in all aspects of the oil and gas industry, including oil and gas production, refining, pipeline, mineral leasing, consulting, legal work, and oil field service activities in North Dakota, South Dakota, and the Rocky Mountain Region. Our members produced 98 percent of the 313.5 million barrels of oil produced in North Dakota last year.

New development to build master plan community
Caitlyn Beley, Communications Director
Williston Economic Development & City of Williston

WILLISTON, N.D. – More shovels plunged into Williston’s world-class economy, breaking ground on a new 535 acre mixed-use development on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Located at 56th Street and U.S. Highway 2/85, Northstar Center will serve as the northern gateway to America’s fastest-growing micropolitan city.
The live/work master plan community will offer over 2,000 dwelling units and more than 2.7 million square feet of commercial space. Northstar Center is currently the largest planned urban development in the Williston Basin, providing the community with more parks, walking trails, and softball diamonds; a combined total of 105 acres.
This is an important step in working toward building a connected, accessible community, according to Mayor Howard Klug. This connectivity and accessibility will provide Williston with opportunities to celebrate family, friends and community; and safe routes to get there.
“In developing this large, comprehensive complex to include extensive green space as well as housing and shopping space, you are helping realize many of the needs of the Williston community,” said Jon Cameron, spokesperson for U.S. Senator John Hoeven.
The development team consists of local GM Dealer, Patrick Murphy; Jason Vedadi, Titanium Builders; Larry Miller, master plan developer of Citation Communities; and Dwain Davis of Templeton Enterprises.
For information regarding sales and leasing please contact Joe Kachuroi of Bakken Realty/Remax at (701) 770-5893.