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

 

Keystone XL pipeline routeWe, at the Bakken Oil Business Journal, offer our unambiguous support of a project important to meeting American energy needs, the Keystone XL Pipeline.

The Keystone XL Pipeline is a proposed 1,179 mile, 36-inch-diameter crude oil pipeline that goes through a number of states and provinces on its route south, including Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, and Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska in the U.S. Along with transporting crude oil from Canada, the Keystone XL Pipeline will transport oil from producers in Texas, Oklahoma, Montana and North Dakota.

Building awareness of the need for smart policy about our land and waters and how drilling impacts them isn’t an easy sell in a state whose residents continue to derive so much personal financial benefit from the oil and gas industry.

In the matter of Keystone, the environmental lobby is just plain wrong, as it is a safe and needed addition to America’s network of pipelines that gets oil to market. And there is precious little evidence to the contrary.

Until alternative fuel sources become competitive in availability and cost with our existing carbon-based mainstream supply, we have little choice but to rely on fossil fuels. This pesky fact just can’t be denied. Surely, we hope that time will come sooner rather than later, and we heartily support government funding of innovation to speed arrival of that day. But even the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic of environmentalists know that day is not right around the corner.

In the meantime, regardless of the worldwide climate crisis in which we’re fully engaged, it’s in our collective interest to facilitate America’s relentless need for the oil that runs our cars, heats and cools our homes and powers our factories. The Keystone will facilitate this by getting oil extracted from the buried sands of our friendly Canadian neighbor, down to our U.S. refineries to be converted to gasoline and related products.

Recent, objective studies show Keystone to be the safest, most environmentally secure and least expensive means to get the product to market. And now that the U.S. State Department has announced it found no major basis to oppose the project after an intensive and long-awaited review, it’s time for President Obama to provide his needed seal of approval.

For reasons of efficiency the Department of State is encouraging electronic submittal of comments through the federal government’s eRulemaking Portal. To submit comments electronically, visit this link: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=DOS-2014-0003-0001

This is a 30-day public comment period and the deadline date is Friday, March 7th at 11:59 p.m. (EST).

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Jobs:

  • During construction, the report suggests that the project would support about 42,000 direct/indirect jobs, approximately $2 billion of earnings throughout the United States, and contribute about $3.4 billion to US GDP.

GHG:

  • The Final SEIS finds if this project goes ahead, we will see fewer spills, fewer injuries, and fewer fatalities when compared to the alternative of transporting crude oil by rail. On top of that, this project will result in lower GHG emissions; the Final SEIS finds that under any of the alternative scenarios where the project is denied, you will see greater GHG emissions from the movement of this oil.
    • The updated analysis in the Final SEIS concludes that the proposed Project is unlikely to significantly affect the rate of extraction in the oil sands.
  • The Final SEIS states that under any of the scenarios where the project is denied, GHG emissions from the movement of this oil would actually increase – 28 per cent more GHGs if all the oil is railed to the Gulf Coast, 42 per cent higher GHGs if a combination of rail and new pipelines is used.

Energy Security:

  • The Keystone XL Pipeline will increase energy security, and with the growth of domestic production in the U.S. and Canada, connecting the third largest resource of oil in the world to the largest refining center in the world can do nothing but increase energy security.
  • As the Final SEIS points out, the demand persists for imported heavy crude oil by U.S. refineries optimized to process heavy crude. As Canadian production of bitumen from the oil sands continues to grow, the vast majority is currently exported to the United States to be processed by U.S. refineries.
    • The U.S. is a net importer of crude oil. The International Energy Agency and US Energy Information Administration (EIA) have both forecast that the U.S. will still need to import oil to meet its domestic demand for decades, despite growing oil production in the U.S. Today, the United States consumes 15 million barrels of oil per day and imports eight million barrels. The EIA forecast in 2012 stated that the U.S. will continue to import 7.5 million barrels of oil per day into 2035 to meet its needs.

Safety:

  • As a Company, we are committed to doing the very best and we will continue to operate Keystone XL, once complete, in the safest and most efficient way that we can. It’s our commitment to the public, it’s our commitment to our customers, and it’s a commitment we take very seriously.
    • As stated in the Final SEIS, the U.S. Department of State, in consultation with PHMSA, has determined that incorporation of the 59 conditions would result in a Project that would have a degree of safety over any other typically constructed domestic oil pipeline system under current code.

Export:

  • Keystone XL is not an export pipeline. The U.S. consumes 15 million barrels of oil a day and imports seven to eight million barrels. Both the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the International Energy Agency predict America will continue to import millions of barrels of oil each day until at least 2040.
  • So what we are really talking about is a choice – a choice made all that more relevant with the recent unrest in Syria and Egypt – do Americans want their crude oil from a friendly partner in Canada or will they continue to rely on unstable regions such as Venezuela and the Middle East? Based on consistent polls since 2011, the findings prove that the majority of Americans continue to support our project.

 

Written by Janelle Holden

In December 2012, 5.19 Sales & Marketing connected communities in Eastern Montana with business leaders looking to launch a first-of-its-kind housing project for oil and gas workers in the Bakken region.

With the guidance of the Eastern Montana Impact Coalition (EMIC) and the commitment of IAP Worldwide Services (IAP), the Eagles Landing Housing Community Project was born.

WP_20130728_002-wJust nine months later Sidney, Montana is now home to phase one of Eagles Landing, a state-of-the-art housing facility that includes 339 beds, private rooms, chef-prepared meals, free daily breakfast, a commercial grade laundry facility, housekeeping services, fitness center, 24-hour security and ample parking.

In this interview, Troy Selland of 5.19 Sales & Marketing shares lessons learned from the project and the secret to creating successful business ventures in the Bakken region.

Janelle: “So Troy, how did this project get started?”
Last December, I flew into Wolf Point, Montana with senior leaders from IAP to meet with EMIC executives. With over 60 years of expertise in remote site operations, IAP was looking for a community in the Bakken region in which to build and operate a multi-million dollar workforce housing community.

We toured six sites across Montana and North Dakota. All of them were potentially a good fit for a large-scale project, but the company was impressed by the opportunities that existed in Montana and how the EMIC represented the region.

Janelle: “Who is IAP Worldwide Services and why were they interested in building?”
IAP specializes in providing temporary housing solutions in remote locations around the world. It’s a company that has the capability to build specialized housing solutions in virtually any environment around the world. In the past, they have worked primarily with government agencies and were looking to expand into the private sector.

Janelle: “I’ve heard that Montana has had trouble in the past winning contracts like these. Is that true and if so, what made the difference here?
Montana has historically lost out on similar opportunities to other oil states such as North Dakota and Texas and the field was open to IAP to build anywhere in the world.

In early 2012, EMIC formed to address community challenges in the Bakken region and they welcomed IAP into the community. The coalition wanted to help solve a regional housing shortage that was persistent, challenging and frustrating.

When they met, the coalition members spoke with one clear voice about their visions, challenges and hopes for a region that is roughly the size of the state of New York.  This made the difference with IAP as it was clear that an opportunity truly did exist for them in Montana.

Janelle: This project was built in record time and it seems like everyone in the community has been happy with the result. How did that happen?
Good communication and great partners. The coalition worked with the company to ensure that every phase of design, planning and construction would address and resolve the community’s concerns and fit with Montana culture.

As a result, Eagles Landing has become home to more than just oil and gas industry personnel. Current and future residents include county employees, policemen, electricians, and even families.

Janelle: What have you learned about doing business from this project?
When I look at the history of this project, I’m proud of Montana for finding a creative way to work with businesses and solve community challenges in the Bakken. The real secret to the success of the project was combining the visionaries of IAP with the local members of the EMIC. Including community input via the coalition and building local support is the secret for businesses looking for long-term success in Montana’s Bakken region.

Troy-Selland_5.19Sales&Marketing-cropTroy Selland is the Founder of 5.19 Sales & Marketing, based in Livingston, Montana. He has over fifteen years of leadership and consulting experience in the commercial airline, ground logistics, and oil and gas sectors. 5.19 Sales and Marketing helps firms of vision find their place, and ultimate success, in today’s unconventional energy industry.

For More Information: 5.19 Sales & Marketing: www.five-nineteen.com
Eagles Landing Project: www.iapeagleslanding.com
EMIC: www.gndc.org/EMIC%20page.htm

 

With the soon-to-hit-the-streets April issue of the Bakken Oil Business Journal, reports on oil and gas exploration from Fairfield Sun Times’ Publisher Darryl L. Flowers will occasionally appear in the magazine, which is based in Livingston, Montana.

“We’re pleased to have Darryl joining our list of contributors,” said Journal Publisher Mary Edwards. “Darryl’s way of presenting the complexities of oil and gas exploration in an easy to read manner will be a welcome addition.”

“It’s quite an honor to be published in such a prestigious publication,” said Flowers, who has owned the Sun Times since 2008. “Moving forward, I hope to not only contribute stories from the Sun Times, but to develop stories specifically for the Bakken Oil Business Journal.”

The Bakken Oil Business Journal, a bi-monthly magazine, is distributed by direct mail to companies and businesses operating in the Bakken region and is hand-delivered at top energy shows related to the Bakken Oil Play.

The Sun Times, celebrating a century of reporting in NW Montana, actually has a long history of oil and gas reporting under its belt. “Our oldest copy on file, from the early twenties, tells the story of some Fairfield residents who travelled to Bynum to witness the drilling, by bucket, of an oil well,” said Flowers.

Since 2011, the Sun Times has been reporting permitting activity as well as reports from the “oil patch.” It was the first Montana newspaper to report on the permitting status of all oil and gas wells in the state. Recently, the Sun Times was the first to report that Anschutz Exploration was ceasing exploration operations on the Blackfeet Reservation in Glacier County.

More information on the  Bakken Oil Business Journal can be found at bakkenoilbiz.com. You can catch current and past issues of the Journal online, optimized for mobile and tablet, at https://bakkenoilbiz.com/digital-journal/.

Retrieved 4-25-2013. Fairfield Sun Times.

Consultancy of the Year – Antea Group

Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year – Aon Corporation

Drilling & Well Services Company of the Year – Marquis Alliance Energy Group

E&P Company of the Year, sponsored by TEEMCO – QEP Resources, Inc.

Engineering Company of the Year, sponsored by Cosential – Spartan Engineering Inc.

Environmental Initiative of the Year, sponsored by Austin Exploration – TEEMCO, LLC

Future Industry Leader – Megan Starr

Health & Safety Initiative of the Year – FTS International

Industry Leader – Mark C. Peterson

Industry Supplier of the Year – Frank Henry Equipment USA, LLC

Insurance Provider of the Year – IMA, Inc.

Law Firm of the Year – Burleson LLP

Manufacturer of the Year – Cobra Manufacturing & Sales LLC

Midstream Company of the Year, sponsored by Spartan Engineering – High Sierra Energy, LP

Recruitment Agency of the Year – Precision Placement Services, Inc.

Terminal of the Year – Savage

Transaction of the Year, sponsored by mergermarket – Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc.

Trucking Company of the Year – Brady Trucking, Inc.

Water Management Company of the Year – BeneTerra

Congratulations to all of the 2012 Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Awards winners. Thanks to all of the sponsors and partners.

For full information on the awards please visit: http://www.oilandgasawards.com/?page_id=12

If you would like to arrange interviews, or review video and photo assets and for anything else please contact: Marc Bridgen on +1 (210) 591 8475 or email marc@oilandgasawards.com.

About the Awards:

The Oil & Gas Awards recognize the outstanding achievements made within the Upstream and Midstream sectors of the North American Oil & Gas Industry. The Awards are a platform for the Industry to demonstrate and celebrate the advances made in the key areas of the environment, efficiency, innovation, corporate social responsibility and health & safety. The Awards show the Industry’s motivation to develop by recognizing and rewarding the efforts of corporations and individuals.

The Oil & Gas Industry is of upmost importance to the U.S. National Economy and instrumental to both National and Energy Security. In its areas of operation the Oil & Gas Industry also plays a key role for local communities and their economies. Through innovation the Industry has driven forward technological developments, which have created a renaissance in the energy sector, enabling the U.S. to tap into one of the worlds largest natural gas reserves. In spite of its significance, the Industry still has its critics and gets more than its fair share of negative press. The Oil & Gas Industry has made great gains in meeting its responsibilities to the environment, to corporate social responsibility and the health & safety of staff and the public alike.

The awards take place in the six main onshore Oil and Gas producing regions of North America, including; Gulf Coast, Mid Continent, Northeast, Rocky Mountain, Southwest and West Coast. The Awards are designed to focus on specific regions of North America to allow geographically relevant organizations the ability to network at the gala dinner, and to ensure successful companies can utilize and benefit from their ‘winners status’ within their business community. In combining the Midstream and Upstream sectors, the awards bring together partners, and enable these co-dependent markets to acknowledge one another’s achievements. A number of the Award categories recognize service providers to the Industry, who play a vital role in its success and contribute to its reputation. The Awards welcome entries from organizations of every size and each entry is judged on its individual merits, and on a level playing field with its competition.

The Awards and the Organizations involved will be publicized in local, national and international trade publications and general press, in the run up to and after each ceremony. The core aim of the Oil & Gas Awards is to advertise and promote the Industry’s drive to improve and develop by rewarding organization’s achievements.

The Oil & Gas Awards mission is to become the most prestigious and sought after Awards in the Industry. The reputation of the Awards is paralleled to those of its judges and the Organizations they represent. To this end, appropriate candidates for the judging panels have been carefully researched and recommendations sought to find Industry thought leaders. Each judging panel consists of a mix of highly respected individuals from market leading E&P and Midstream companies.

For additional information, or to arrange interviews with staff, judges or partners please contact Marc Bridgen, Chief Marketing Officer on +1 210 591 8475 or marc@oilandgasawards.com.

Bob van der Valk recently joined the Bakken Oil Business Journal as their Managing Editor of the bi-monthly print and digital journal editions, connecting business and resources for the greater Bakken area. Bob has collaborated & contributed to the editorial voice of the Bakken Oil Business Journal since its inaugural issue in May of 2012. He has been the source of information on the petroleum industry, as a whole, in addition to paying specific attention to the booming growth of Oil & Gas industry in the Bakken Oil Shale Region. Bob is quoted regularly in the national media for his expertise on petroleum industry matters and fluctuations in the prices of petroleum products.

Bob has over 50 years of experience in the downstream refining and marketing sector of the petroleum industry with particular expertise on the U.S. western region. He is also a regular guest on Tom Egelhoff’s “Open for Business” radio program on KMMS-AM 1450 from Bozeman discussing current events in the petroleum industry for the region.

Mary Edwards is the Publisher of the every other month edition of the Journal teeming with petroleum industry articles about the current news, technology advancements, and information pertaining to the businesses and services operating in the Bakken Oil Shale Region. In addition to the glossy color print edtionof the Journal, a corresponding digital version is available via the Internet designed for today’s popular computer tablets & smart phone mobile devices. Up to 4,000 of the Journal’s print editions are mailed direct to a demographic of businesses & companies active in the regional petroleum industry. They are also being made available to individuals attending the top Bakken Oil Regional Conferences & Energy Trade Shows.

URTeC, 12-14 August 2013 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver

Click here & be heard by US Secretary John Kerry. … do it right now, it only takes 30-seconds.

Please approve the Keystone XL pipeline as quickly as possible. Every day we continue to delay this important piece of U.S. energy infrastructure inhibits our economic growth and weakens American security.

As a military veteran and a well-known supporter of military personnel, veterans and their families, you understand the importance of protecting our national security. Approving the Keystone XL pipeline would directly enhance America’s security, diminishing our dependence on unfriendly foreign oil states and strengthening our relationship with our next-door neighbor and longtime ally, Canada.

The full Keystone XL pipeline would bring in an additional 830,000 barrels of North American oil per day, reducing our need to import oil from places like the Middle East. With Keystone XL, our crude imports from Canada could reach 4 million barrels per day by 2020, twice the amount we now import from the Persian Gulf.

Canada will develop and market their oil reserves regardless of what we do about Keystone XL. It just makes sense to approve this pipeline and bring that fuel to the U.S., to grow our economy, provide jobs for our workers and power our businesses and homes. Americans have waited nearly five years for this pipeline to be approved and for America’s government to increase our energy security. After all the delays, it is time to act.

For almost three decades you exhibited strong leadership in the U.S. Senate. Bring that same leadership to the Department of State and approve the Keystone XL pipeline without delay.

The theme of the 2013 conference is New Energy Horizons.

When the very first Williston Basin Petroleum Conference was envisioned back in 1993, it was planned as a meeting where researchers and industry leaders could sit down and discuss the latest technologies and science to help improve oil production in North Dakota and Saskatchewan.  That first conference in Minot, North Dakota – spearheaded by Dr. Malcolm Wilson who at the time worked for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Industry and Mines, as well as colleagues across the border at the University of North Dakota – sent out 70 invitations.  Over 160 people showed up.

From the get-go, Wilson and the original planners knew they’d come across something big.

“What can you say when you get almost triple the number of people you initially invited to the first conference asking to attend?” notes Wilson, now the CEO of the Petroleum Technology Research Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan. “As the conferences progressed – and began to be managed by the North Dakota Petroleum Council, the Saskatchewan Geological Survey and the PTRC – they expanded to include more and more companies.  It developed a significant tradeshow component, but it’s been very important to keep the technical and scientific sessions expanding as well.”

The conference now alternates, in even and odd numbered years, between North Dakota and Saskatchewan respectively.  In 2012 over 4000 people registered and attended the Bismarck incarnation (no mean feat, for hotel owners and restaurants in a city of under 60,000) and the 2013 event in Regina is expected to attract around 2500 attendees.

The exponential increase in numbers at the conference speaks to the rise of Bakken exploration and development – a formation that contains often difficult-to-access but high quality oil.  The Bakken has become the backbone of the explosive growth in oil production in North Dakota and southern Saskatchewan, and holds enormous potential for additional growth in southwestern Manitoba and Eastern Montana.

What’s in the works for the 2013 conference, which runs April 30 to May 2nd at Regina’s Evraz Place?

“We’re excited by the technical presenters, and special guest speakers we have lined up for this year’s conference,” noted Melinda Yurkowski, assistant Chief Geologist at the Saskatchewan Geological Survey, the Government of Saskatchewan group that has been setting the technical program. “Aside from presentations on important emerging technologies, and  the latest in enhanced oil recovery happening in the Williston Basin, our first day of the technical sessions will also report on the latest news from industry and government players.”

To attend the presentations requires registering and paying a fee of 300.00 (this rate goes up on the day of the conference to 500.00, so register early!) but there are also a number of public presentations that don’t require conference registration and are open to everyone.  One of those, on hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) hopes to provide all the basic information on the technologies employed in this process and discuss in a frank way what it’s all about.  The conference also has two special workshops planned for the conference delegates for a small extra fee – one on core sampling and a second on rock mechanics.  Check out the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference website below for more information.

The some 300 tradeshow booths have been sold out since January, and the tradeshow itself will highlight the best in oilfield technologies.  Special events, a host of receptions, and conference lunches with special-guest speakers will also be provided.

The conference runs April 30 to May 2nd at Evraz Place.  Visit www.wbpc.ca for full information.