Applications Are Open For The North Dakota Petroleum Foundation’s 2022-2023 Al Golden Scholarships

Bismarck, N.D. – The North Dakota Petroleum Foundation (NDPF) is now accepting applications for its Al Golden Scholarship program for the 2022-2023 school year. The NDPF will award a $2,000 scholarship to 10 students pursuing degrees or training in an energy-related field.

“The oil and natural gas are dependable energy resources that are vital to our quality of life and are a significant contributor to our state and national economies,” said Tessa Sandstrom, Executive Director for the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation. “The industry requires a skilled, educated and knowledgeable workforce to provide that energy resource to our homes and businesses. The Bakken is a multigenerational play, and we will need these future energy leaders to help us create the new technologies and methods for recovering petroleum right here in North Dakota for the benefit of our state and national economy and energy security.”

Al Golden Scholars are selected based on academic achievement, work or internship experience in the oil and natural gas industry or a demonstrated commitment to a qualified area of study. Students must be attending a North Dakota college or university and remain a full-time student for the Fall Semester of 2022 and Spring Semester of 2023.

To be eligible, applicants must be full-time students who have a 3.0 GPA or higher and are pursuing a post-secondary education in geology, engineering, science, processing plant technology, and other technical skills or trades related to energy development or processing. In addition, applicants must also have completed ONE of the following:

  • At least six months of work and/or internship experience in the oil and gas industry, and/or,
  • At least 12 hours in geology, earth science, geological/petroleum engineering, chemistry, math, or safety.

Applications must be submitted or postmarked by June 1, 2021. To apply, visit www.NDPetroleumFoundation.org/programs/al-golden-scholarship/.

About the Al Golden Memorial Scholarship Fund:  The Al Golden Memorial Scholarship Fund is named after North Dakota oil pioneer and the first member of the North Dakota Petroleum Council’s Hall of Fame, Al Golden. The scholarship is funded by individual and company contributions, as well as proceeds from the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference. Since 2008, the program has awarded nearly $108,000 to students pursuing a post-secondary education in energy-related fields.

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About the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation

The North Dakota Petroleum Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded by the North Dakota Petroleum Council in 2018 to support our state and the communities in which we operate. Through outreach programs, scholarships and education opportunities, and environmental stewardship programs, we strive to help our neighbors make our communities better places to live, work and raise a family.

 

Media Contact:

Tessa Sandstrom
Executive Director
ND Petroleum Foundation
701.557.3972
tsandstrom@ndoil.org

On behalf of our Texas Oil & Gas Column Writer, Paul Wiseman, we would like to share a song with you — a throwback from the previous big downturn released in April of 2015. Original Song, “Release Me” by Eddie Miller and Robert Young, 1949. “Lease Me” lyrics © Paul Wiseman 2015.

 

Please, please lease me, let us drill
Exploration or infill.
To waste reserves would be a sin
So lease me, and let us drill again.

You have found oil here before
Seismic shows there’s plenty more
Prices cannot stay so low
So lease me and let those pipelines flow.

Please, please lease me, let us drill
Exploration or infill.
To waste reserves would be a sin
So lease me, and let us drill again.

Please, please lease me can’t you see
Bit by bit return to me.
Empty drill pads bring me pain.
So lease me and let us drill again.

Please, please lease me, let us drill
Exploration or infill.
To waste reserves would be a sin
So lease me, and let us drill again.

 

Location: Ken Goldsmith’s MudRock Studio. Videographer: Kim Smith.

By: RAYMOND PIERSON  |  Certified Petroleum Geologist

The present day Cretaceous Codell oil and gas development in the central portion of the Denver Basin Colorado USA is the result of the successful geological work conducted by Raymond M. Pierson in the early 1980’s.

Raymond’s Early Studies:

As a student at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) during 1978-80, Raymond was looking at outcrops of the lower Cretaceous along the foothills east of Loveland Colorado. It was there he came across the Fort Hays Limestone and a series of silty sandstones and shales at the base. The sandstone at the base of a deep marine cold-water limestone indicated an unconformity, which was what motivated him to collect a sample. While collecting a sample of the sandstone, he smelled the occurrence of hydrocarbons. From that he knew the rock was the Codell sandstone.

Raymond started correlating from outcrop to the subsurface and across the Loveland field into the deeper portions of the basin in the heart of the Wattenberg field. He used resistivity and density logs from previously drilled wells. The wellbore signature of the Codell in open-hole logs indicated a high gamma-ray, high density porosity and low neutron porosity. When the two are combined they yield the conventional gas-effect cross-over. The resistivity was low and was similar to the Carlile shale below. Also noted was the caliper log. It seemed to indicate a wash-out.

Raymond asked a petrophysicists about this. He was informed the high porosity was probably due to the washout plus the density tool not reading correctly. Initial mapping of the gross Codell thickness indicated it covered many townships and extended throughout the Wattenberg field area and beyond.

It was later determined that the wash out was caused by the differential pressures between the reservoir and the hydrostatic mud column. The reservoir was highly over pressured at 4500 psi while the mud column, at reservoir depth, was near 3200 psi. The differential pressure in favor of the reservoir at 1300 psi caused the Codell, in a highly microfractured state, to disintegrate. Had the permeability been greater, the wells would have blown out. The “J” sandstone at depth had an initial reservoir pressure of about 2750 psi.

After Graduating, Raymond Continued to Investigate:

After graduating from UNC, Raymond went to work for Cities Service Company in Denver and was permitted to continue working on the Codell investigation. Continued correlation indicated the Codell pinched out, going updip and east from the Basin axis at the Codell horizon, which more or less parallels highway 85 going north from Brighton to Greely Colorado. This data indicated a stratigraphic pinch out type trap in the updip direction. The perfect setting for creating a big field. Further correlation to the west indicated a more-or-less full section of the eroded section existing all the way to outcrop along the Front Range.

City Service Needs a Core:

Conventional log analysis indicated the Codell was more-or-less a hundred percent water saturated. To understand the rock, Cities Service needed a core. But the company was not active in the Denver Basin. Thus, to obtain a core for analysis, an independent named Centennial Petroleum was contracted. Cities offered to cover all costs associated with rig time and vendors if Centennial would agree to stop their drilling operations and core the Codell at a depth determined by Cities Service. Centennial agreed and a whole core of the Codell sandstone was obtained from their Futhey #2 well in Boulder County Colorado.

Bob Colby Initiates Further Studies:

In July 1981, the core was sent to the Cities Service Research laboratories in Tulsa Oklahoma and then on to Core Labs. Meanwhile, Centennial drilled their Futhey #1 well to the targeted “J sandstone for completion. One of the requested studies on the Codell core was initiated by Bob Colby, the petrophysicist working with Raymond on the project. He wanted the true A (tortuosity factor,​ ​related to the length of the electrical path through the rock), M (cementation exponent)​, and N (saturation exponent)​ ​for the formation resistivity factor at various brine saturates, as well as core porosity and permeability.

With these parameters, Bob felt that log analysis would be more descriptive than just using an Archie’s type water saturation calculation. When Bob began his log analysis on the Codell he asked Raymond what the file name should be for storage. Raymond left that up to Bob who jokingly named the file “Raymond’s Folly”.

Centennial Requests the Core Results:

A few months passed and Centennial petroleum called Raymond and expressed interest in the core results. Centennial’s Futhey #1 “J” sandstone well had experienced mechanical completion difficulties resulting in tubing and a packer being stuck in the hole. If there was potential in the Codell, then Centennial wanted to attempt a completion rather than junking and abandoning the well. The core results had arrived a few weeks prior to Centennial’s call. The results included some surprises. Bob Colby had already begun using the new A, M, and N values to recompute the water saturation calculations from selected logs across the basin.

The core results included the following:

  • The core of the Codell sandstone was ninety percent quartz, fine grained silt and sand, and heavily bioturbated.
  • Clays appeared to be dominantly montmorillonite, illite, smectite and chlorite.

3) The clay minerals, bioturbated into and mixed with the terrigenous grains, had reduced the permeability to less than 0.01 millidarcies, a level almost too low to measure.

4) The individual quartz grains were observed to contain ‘anastomizing fractures’ which is what results when you drop a heated glass marble into cold water. The marble fractures but does not fall apart. Some tectonic event combined with frictional heat was the suggested cause. Such an event would generate enough heat and stress to cause the anastomizing fractures.

5) The A, M and N values at various saturates from the core were determined to vary. The sample saturated with the lower salinity brine exhibited a lower formation factor than the sample saturated with a higher salinity brine. Hence, it was concluded that fresh-water drilling fluids affected the true resistivity observed in open hole well logs. This impact was attributed to the “conductive solids” and the Cation Exchange Capacity of the rock matrix.

6) In addition, hydrocarbons were present in the Codell core.

Log analysis confirmed the density-neutron gas effect cross-over was real.

Bob Colby and Raymond Pierson Study the Results:

Bob Colby and Raymond Pierson accessed hundreds of “J” sandstone well logs covering the Wattenberg field. At first, Bob used a formation factor of 1.00 / ø^ 1.40 and an Rw of 0.11, but a more accurate formation factor was later determined. The water saturation calculations yielded values of less than twenty percent, field wide. In addition, Bob used the available Sonic logs to calculate Q, or clay content, and found the percent of clay was almost the same value as the water saturation. Therefore, he concluded if water existed, it was bound in the clay minerals and would never be produced. It was concluded that the net pay covered an area no less than six (6) townships wide and eight (8) townships long, roughly equal to 1728 square miles. What was not known was the productivity potential of the Codell.

Futhey #1 Worth Completion:

Based on the core results of the Futhey #2 and the new log analysis, it was recommended to Centennial Petroleum that the Futhey #1 Codell was worth a completion attempt to prevent junking and abandoning the well. The Futhey #1 is located in the NE SE Section 26, Township 1N, Range 69 West, Boulder County, Colorado, and was completed in the Codell interval. After frac treatment, the well tested 262 BBLS of 52° gravity condensate and 1.3MMCFGPD on May 27, 1981. At about the same time, Martin Exploration Management Corporation completed its #1 Ertl, located in the SE NW Section 17, T1N-R69W by commingling the “J” and Codell sandstones. It reported an initial production of 250 BBLS condensate and 1.6MMCFGPD.

It is not known how much oil and gas came from which zones, but these two wells started the development of the Codell. Amoco Production Company’s first Codell completion was a recompletion of an uneconomical “Muddy J”. The well was the Frank Boulter #1, located in the SW ¼ Section 14, T1N-R66W. On December 16, 1981 during a 24 hour test, the well flowed 102 BOPD and 1.05 MMCFGPD. Amoco, with their large acreage position, was in an excellent position to develop the Codell, but never did.

Mapping the Wattenberg Codell:

Raymond later began consulting and putting together an extensive mapping project of the Wattenberg Codell. He contacted Champlin Petroleum Company and requested a farmout of acreage in the Wattenberg field. Champlin, at the time, was under the understanding that all the acreage was held for production by Amoco and or Champlin due to the existing “J” gas wells on 320-acre spacing.

Raymond had read the original farmout agreement between Champlin and Amoco and pointed out to Champlin that the company had retained all the NE quarter sections for itself and committed only the “J” sandstone rights to a 320 acre spaced unit, leaving all other mineral rights to Champlin. Raymond requested a farmout of the Codell-Niobrara minerals in every NE quarter section of every odd-numbered section in the Wattenberg field on the UPRR right-of-way.

Basin Exploration Enters the Picture:

In early 1985, Raymond contacted Basin Exploration Incorporated, a company in Fort Collins, Colorado, and brought to them the basic farmout proposal. Basin met with Champlin and a farmout proposal was drafted in March, 1985. Basin agreed to drill 20 drill-to-earn wells and have a continual drill-to-earn right on the approximately 7,000 net mineral acres in the Wattenberg field. Raymond became the Vice President of Exploration and Production for Basin Exploration.

The Codell Play:

Since that time, thousands of Codell-Niobrara wells have been drilled in the Denver Basin. It is still undergoing heavy development to this very day. In an article that appeared in the business section of the Rocky Mountain News, on Sunday, July 4, 1982, Raymond was quoted saying “I predict that the Codell

will be the largest continuing producing reservoir in the Rocky Mountains.” He was right. Thousands of wells have been drilled in the Codell play, which is now thirty-five (35) years old. Thousands more are scheduled to be drilled. From its beginning, over thirty-six years ago, the Codell was considered a non-typical reservoir, and it has lived up to that expectation.

Map of well density in the Greater Wattenberg area.

Conclusion:

Thus, what began as a study of “Overlooked Oil and Gas in the Loveland Area” at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley Colorado, in 1978-80, became the Codell play that has endured until this very day. The initial geological interpretation may have seemed bold. But, over time, it has measured up to all the predictions, even though at first it was called “Raymond’s Folly.”

2018 – Colorado produced a total of 177.8 Million Barrels of Oil.

Weld County produced a total of 158.1 Million Barrels of Oil.

Colorado produced a total of 1.87 Trillion Cubic Feet of gas.

Weld County Produced a total of .81 Trillion Cubic Feet of gas.

Therefore Weld County produced 88.9% of all the oil and 43% of all the gas in the State of Colorado. Weld County has over 25,000 wells.

BIO: RAYMOND PIERSON is a Certified Petroleum Geologist through the Department of Professional Affairs of the AAPG (American Association of Petroleum Geologists.)

After serving in the United States Navy in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War, he returned to work for Amoco Production Company in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico during the early 1970’s. He graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley Colorado with a BA in Earth Sciences – Geology in 1980. For the thirty six (36) years since, he worked directly for or consulted to companies such as Cities Service Company, Rocky Mountain Production Company, Basin Exploration Inc., Shell Western Exploration and Production Inc., Aera Energy LLC, El Paso Corporation, and finally Kinder Morgan. He retired in 2013 with a desire to consult and stay active in petroleum geology and relocated to Windsor Colorado. He was the Keynote Speaker at the University of Northern Colorado Spring 2017 Undergraduate Commencement. He is an active partner with Devoy Energy Partners LLC.

The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) and the Western Dakota Energy Association (WDEA) this week released the results of a North Dakota oil and gas tax revenue study they jointly sponsored. The purpose of the study was to review the oil and gas extraction and gross production tax collections by the state of North Dakota, from 2008-2018, and to detail where and how that funding has been used. The study breaks down the revenue distribution by the programs and political subdivisions receiving the funds and tracks how the revenues have been used through different state funds and distributions authorized by the legislature.

From 2008-2018, oil and gas extraction and production taxes have raised almost $18 billion for the state, which accounts for almost 44 percent of total tax revenues collected by the state during that period. Over the last five years alone, oil and gas extraction and production taxes accounted for more than 50 percent of all tax revenues collected by the state. “We thought it was important to compile this data and push this information out to the public,” said Ron Ness, President of NDPC. “We hope it is useful to our state legislators currently considering the state budget and spending levels for the next biennium.”

“The oil industry benefits the entire state, not just the west,” said Geoff Simon, Executive Director of WDEA. “We are excited to share this information, so people have a clear picture of how their government services are being funded.”

“We appreciate the efforts of the NDPC and WDEA in compiling this information,” said Rich Wardner, ND Senate Majority Leader. “During the legislative session, as we debate tax and spending bills, this information will be critical in ensuring lawmakers have a full understanding of where tax revenues are coming from and where they are being spent.”

This report is a compilation of publicly available tax collection data conducted by Brent Bogar of Jadestone Consulting. Copies of this report have been delivered to all state legislators and it will be made available on the WDEA website at taxstudy.ndenergy.org.

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Media Contacts:

Kristen Hamman
Director of Communications
North Dakota Petroleum Council
T. 701.223.6380

Tim Rasmussen
Director of Communications
Western Dakota Energy Association
T. 701.527.9003

About the North Dakota Petroleum Council
Since 1952, the Petroleum Council has been the primary voice of the oil and gas industry in North Dakota. The Petroleum Council represents more than 500 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. For more information, go to www.ndoil.org.

About the Western Dakota Energy Association
The Western Dakota Energy Association is a membership organization comprised of the counties, cities and school districts in the oil and coal-producing regions of North Dakota. WDEA supports sustainable energy development and responsible revenue sharing for its members, and promotes the greater good of North Dakota. For more information, go to www.ndenergy.org.

Two Montana kids! BOBJ Publisher Mary Edwards high fives Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke at the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference in Bismarck, May 2018.

WASHINGTON – In response to the announcement that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke will step down at the end of the year, Thomas J. Pyle, President of the American Energy Alliance, made the following statement:

“In the two years that Zinke has led the Department of the Interior, he has served the country in a way we haven’t seen from the federal government’s land use agency since the days of President Ronald Reagan. Streamlining permitting under the National Environmental Policy Act, reforming regulations on methane venting and flaring, and reorganizing Bears Ears National Monument are just a few of his many significant contributions. Most importantly, Zinke has unleashed American energy potential by tapping into the vast resource reserves on federal lands and opening up previously unexplored areas to development.

Secretary Zinke’s record stands as a testament to the Trump Administration’s America First focus. He has taken a common sense approach at Interior that benefits all Americans by appropriately balancing the many different missions within the department. We look forward to working with his successor to ensure that the Department of Interior remains focused on unlocking the natural resources on federal lands and unleashing American energy potential.”

For media inquiries, please contact Erin Amsberry  |  eamsberry@energydc.org  |  202.621.2955

Bismarck, N.D. – Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke will deliver the keynote address at the 26th Annual Williston Basin Petroleum Conference (WBPC) at 9:10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 23 at the Bismarck Event Center in Bismarck, N.D. More than 2,000 people from 34 states and 4 Canadian Provinces have pre-registered for the conference.

“The Williston Basin is an important piece in achieving President Donald Trump’s goal of American energy dominance,” said Secretary Zinke. “I look forward to joining the conference and speaking with law makers, regulators, and the private sector about how the Trump Administration is working to unleash North Dakota’s full energy potential.”

“We are very excited to host Secretary Zinke to North Dakota,” said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC). “In his service as a Congressman and in his current role, Zinke has been a champion for the hard-working men and women in the energy and agriculture industries. Our state has benefitted greatly from his work to allow for the safe and responsible development of commodities while remaining an ardent steward of our natural resources. We look forward to hearing more about what the future holds for our state and nation.”

Zinke was sworn in as the 52nd Secretary of the Interior on March 1, 2017. A fifth-generation Montanan and former U.S. Navy SEAL Commander, Zinke built one of the strongest track records in the 114th Congress on multiple use land management and championing sportsmen’s access, conservation, regulatory relief, forest management, responsible energy development, and smart management of federal lands. Ryan Zinke represented the state of Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2014. Before that, he served in the Montana State Senate from 2009 to 2011.

Zinke will join the more than 70 presenters at the WBPC, including eight Bakken executives, six of whom represent the top ten producers of oil and natural gas in North Dakota. The conference will also feature a nearly sold-out trade show of more than 270 booths. Registration for the conference will remain open through May 24. For more information, visit WBPCND.org.

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About the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference
The WBPC is the largest conference and expo focused on the Williston Basin, including the Bakken. The conference alternates between North Dakota and Saskatchewan, Canada every other year and is sponsored by the North Dakota Petroleum Council, North Dakota Geological Survey and Government of Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy. For more information and to register for the whole conference, visit www.wbpcnd.org.

About the North Dakota Petroleum Council
Since 1952, the Petroleum Council has been the primary voice of the oil and gas industry in North Dakota. The Petroleum Council represents more than 500 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. For more information, go to www.ndoil.org.

Media Contact:
TESSA SANDSTROM
Director of Communications
NORTH DAKOTA PETROLEUM COUNCIL

T. 701.223.6380

Bismarck, N.D. – The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) is now taking applications for its Al Golden Scholarship program for the 2018-2019 school year. The NDPC will award nine $2,000 scholarships to students pursuing degrees or training in an energy-related field.

“Workforce recruitment continues to be a huge challenge for the industry, but a tremendous opportunity for North Dakota’s young people,” said Ron Ness, president of the NDPC. “Today’s energy industry offers skilled workers and young professionals numerous opportunities for upward mobility and excellent salaries and benefits. This scholarship was created to help them get the education and training they need to become a part of this vital and important workforce.”

Al Golden Scholars are selected based on academic achievement, work or internship experience in the oil and natural gas industry or a demonstrated commitment to a qualified area of study. Students must be attending a North Dakota college or university and remain a full-time student for the Fall Semester of 2018 and Spring Semester of 2019.

Applications must be submitted or postmarked by June 1, 2018. For qualifications and application requirements for the Al Golden Scholarship, visit www.EnergyOfNorthDakota.com/Al-Golden-Scholarship/.

About the Al Golden Memorial Scholarship Fund: The Al Golden Memorial Scholarship Fund is named after North Dakota oil pioneer and the first member of the NDPC’s Hall of Fame, Al Golden. The scholarship is funded by individual and company contributions, as well as proceeds from the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference. Since 2008, the program has awarded more than $60,000 students pursuing a post-secondary education in energy-related fields.

About the North Dakota Petroleum Council
Since 1952, the Petroleum Council has been the primary voice of the oil and gas industry in North Dakota. The Petroleum Council represents more than 500 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. For more information, go to www.ndoil.org.

Thursday, January 25, 2018 – 8:30am

BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum welcomed news today that Hess Midstream Partners and Targa Resources will build a $150 million gas processing plant near Watford City, as North Dakota produces record volumes of natural gas and approaches record high oil production.

The Little Missouri Four gas plant will process 200 million cubic feet of gas per day at Targa’s existing Little Missouri facility in McKenzie County, Hess announced. Completion is expected in the fourth quarter of this year.

Natural gas production in North Dakota reached a record of nearly 2.1 billion cubic feet per day in November 2017, while daily oil production hit 1.19 million barrels per day, approaching the record high of 1.23 million barrels per day set in December 2014.

“We are thrilled to welcome Hess’ significant investment, which underscores the company’s longstanding presence in North Dakota and commitment to our state,” Burgum said. “This processing plant will provide much-needed capacity at a time when North Dakota’s oil production nears record levels and associated natural gas production continues to climb. It’s a huge step in the right direction toward continuing to meet our flaring reduction goals and encouraging responsible energy development and infrastructure investment.”

In addition to the anticipated $150 million in constructions costs for the gas plant, Hess Midstream and Hess Infrastructure Partners LP will invest approximately $100 million for new pipeline infrastructure to gather gas for Little Missouri Four, Hess said.

During his State of the State Address on Tuesday, Burgum said work is needed at the state and federal levels – including streamlining the burdensome process for siting pipelines on federal and tribal lands – to capture the increasing volume of natural gas as oil production grows.

“Bakken gas production has grown at a rate twice as fast as oil production in the last four years,” Burgum said. “Additional private-sector capital investment for gas capture and value-added processing is exactly what we need to simultaneously grow our economy and protect our environment.”

SOURCE: https://www.governor.nd.gov/news/burgum-welcomes-hess-and-targa%E2%80%99s-investment-150m-gas-processing-plant-efforts-reduce-flaring

 

Williston API Achievement Awards
The Williston API Achievement Awards celebrate the many positive contributions and accomplishments of the oil and gas industry throughout the Williston Basin. The three awards to be presented include Industry Innovation, Community Service and Outstanding Achievement. Winners will be presented with their award during the sixth Annual Williston Petroleum Banquet.

Industry Innovation Award
The Industry Innovation Award recognizes significant achievement for advancements in technology, systems, processes and the application thereof in the oil and gas industry in the Williston Basin.

Finalists are:

• TorcSill
• ETI
• FlowCore Systems

Community Service Award
The Community Service Award seeks to recognize individuals and organizations for their commitment to their community and contributions to community service. Nominee’s contributions of time and resources bolster community pride, enable local non-profit’s to meet their missions, strengthen our community boards of directors, and help solve community challenges.

Finalists are:

• S&B Drilling
• W.W. Grainger
• Triangle Electric

Outstanding Achievement
The Outstanding Achievement Award identifies individuals and organizations deserving of recognition for an activity or accomplishment that can be described as an outstanding achievement in the Williston Basin. It may include an individual or company that has made a significant impact over a long period of time or it may include a single event that fundamentally changes the way something is done.

Group finalists are:

• Secure Energy Services
• Energy Transfer Partners
• EnerPlus

Individual finalists are:

• Jon McCreary
• Randy Waitman
• Bob Reynolds

Williston Petroleum Banquet
The Williston Petroleum Banquet celebrates the energy industry in the Williston Basin and all of the positive accomplishments. Industry participants and community leaders will gather to enjoy fine dining, networking and entertainment. The evening will include a program featuring award presentations and a special keynote address by Congressman Kevin Cramer.

Williston Petroleum Banquet and Achievement Awards
November 17, 2017 at the Grand Williston Hotel & Conference Center

6:00 p.m. – Social
7:00 p.m. – Dinner
8:00 p.m. – Program
– Year in Review
– Achievement Awards
– Keynote Address

Williston API
The Williston Basin Chapter of the American Petroleum Institute (API) is a nonprofit organization comprised of service oriented individuals who serve the local oil and gas industry, as well as the surrounding community. More information about the Williston API is available at www.WillistonAPI.com.

Questions and comments may be directed to: info@willistonapi.com or 701-770-5030.

BISMARCK, N.D. – Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited the Bakken yesterday and had the opportunity to tour an oil rig near Williston, N.D. During the two hour tour, Zuckerberg visited with oil and gas employees and learned about the industry’s advancements in technology, safety and opportunity.

“It was a tremendous opportunity and a lot of fun to provide a Bakken drilling rig tour for Mark Zuckerberg as part of his visit America tour,” said Ron Ness, President of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. “He had more questions than we had time in our two hours at the rig, and he took the time to meet and visit with many of the employees and learn about their jobs and experiences in North Dakota.”

The tour was organized by the North Dakota Petroleum Council with help from Statoil, Nabors Drilling and Neset Consulting Service as part of Zuckerberg’s plan to visit all 50 states. During the tour, Zuckerberg had a candid conversation with rig crew members about working in the industry, how the industry in North Dakota has afforded them opportunity they could not find at home, as well as how safety has grown tremendously along with technological advancement to enhance rather than replace their jobs.

“Regardless of your views on energy, I think you’ll find the community around this fascinating,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post early Wednesday morning. “Many people I talked to here acknowledged (climate change), but also feel a sense of pride that their work contributes to serving real needs we all have every day – keeping our homes warm, getting to work, feeding us and more.”

“This was an amazing opportunity to share information with a technology leader,” said Ness. “He now had a much broader grasp of our industry.”

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About the North Dakota Petroleum Council
Since 1952, the Petroleum Council has been the primary voice of the oil and gas industry in North Dakota. The Petroleum Council represents more than 500 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. For more information, go to www.ndoil.org.

Media Contact: Tessa Sandstrom, Communications Manager  |  ND Petroleum Council
701.223.6380, tsandstrom@ndoil.org