(Photo courtesy of State Historical Society of North Dakota, William E. (Bill) Shemorry Photograph Collection)

April marks 65 years since North Dakota first became an oil producing state. Although there have been ups and downs, the industry continues today and is among the top oil producers in the world.  And it all started with the Clarence Iverson #1.

According to Clarence Herz, legend had it that when a landman approached a North Dakota wheat farmer about leasing his mineral rights for oil exploration he said he’d be glad to sign a lease and quipped, “I’ll drink all the oil you get in North Dakota.”

Herz continues:
On April 4th, 1951, North Dakota, after unsuccessfully exploring for 34 years, became the 27th state to produce petroleum.  The discovery well, Amerada Petroleum’s Clarence Iverson #1, produced nearly 250 barrels of oil per day.  It was North Dakota’s only producing well in 1951, as the other 9 attempts, all outside of the Williston Basin, were dry holes. The other nine wells, none of which were drilled by Amerada, were in Cavalier (4), Grand Forks, Morton, Pembina, Pierce, and Stutsman counties.

Click here to continue reading the history of North Dakota’s first well.

“Economic Contributions” of the Oil and Gas Industry in 2013” Infographic

Bismarck, N.D. – The oil and gas industry has seen its economic output rise by 750 percent to $43 billion since 2005, according to a study conducted by the North Dakota State University’s Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. The study also found that the industry directly supported 55,137 full time equivalent jobs and supported another 26,403 secondary full-time jobs. This increase represents the growing importance oil and gas development has on the state’s overall economic health.

“This study helps confirm that the petroleum industry is one of the largest basic-sector industries in North Dakota,” said Dean Bangsund, co-author of the study and research scientist for the department at NDSU. “Although activity is concentrated in the western part of the state, the magnitude of the contributions to both the state and local governments and the sheer volume of secondary economic effects in nearly all sectors of the North Dakota economy would suggest that the economic effects of the industry are felt statewide.”

Because the industry relies on hundreds of contractors and subcontractors, the economic contributions extend beyond the mining and extraction industries. According to the study, retail trade once again saw the largest impact, taking in $11.3 billion of the $43 billion. Households, or personal income, saw the second-largest impact at $9.3 billion, and the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate industry ($4.5 billion) overtook the government ($4.4 billion), which was the third-largest beneficiary in 2011. More than six other industries in North Dakota also benefitted from oil and gas development.

“The positive impacts of oil and gas development extend far beyond just the energy industry, and benefit many of our small and independent businesses in the oil patch and across the state,” said Rae Ann Kelsch, state director of the North Dakota chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business. “This is great news, but what is perhaps more exciting for our organization and members is the fact that the $43 billion only represents 48 percent of the total economic output. That means there is a demand for services within the state that our members can begin taking a look at and capitalizing upon to keep even more of those dollars here in our state.”

Among the study’s key findings:

· The oil and gas industry generated $43 billion for North Dakota’s Economy: In 2013, direct impacts of the oil and gas industry were $17 billion and secondary impacts were $25.7 billion for a total of $43 billion in business activity. For every dollar spent in the state by the oil and gas industry, another $1.43 in additional business activity was generated.

· The oil and gas industry created more than 80,000 jobs statewide: The study reveals that the oil and gas industry’s economic importance to the state includes direct employment for 55,137 full-time jobs and secondary employment of 26,403 full-time equivalent jobs.

· The industry contributed $9.3 billion in economy-wide personal income: The study reveals that the oil and gas industry contributed $9.3 billion in economy-wide personal income, including $1.425 billion in in-state private royalties and $300 million in lease bonuses. This is a 382 percent increase since 2005.

· The oil and gas industry generated $4.4 billion in government revenues: According to the study, the oil and gas industry generated a total of $4.4 billion in government revenues, including:
o $2.9 billion in gross production and severance taxes;
o $654 million in royalties, including $304 million in state royalties, $349 million in federal royalties, including tribal royalties;
o $49.6 million in state lease bonuses, and $4.1 million in federal lease bonuses that were returned to the state;
o $62.6 million in direct sales and use taxes;
o $50.5 million in corporate and personal income taxes;
o $54.6 million in licenses, permits, and fees;
o $12.5 million in charitable donations;
o $322.3 million in indirect state government general tax collections.

· The oil and gas industry supported $28.5 billion in non-industry business activity: The oil and gas industry benefited other industries and sectors statewide, including $11.3 billion in statewide retail sales; $4.5 billion in finance, insurance and real estate; $2.8 billion in business and personal services; $2.3 billion in communications and public utilities; $2.2 billion in professional and social services; $1.8 billion in construction; $1.5 billion in other sectors (various ag and mining); $1.3 billion in manufacturing; and, $838 million in transportation.

The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) has commissioned the study each biennium since 2005, and economic benefits have risen dramatically. Economic impacts have grown by 750 percent since the first study in 2005. State and local government revenues grew by more than $3.73 billion—or 1,150 percent—since 2005, while industry-wide direct employment grew by 992 percent from 5,051 in 2005 to 56,137 in 2013.

“We’ve seen a dramatic growth in production, and along with it, a dramatic growth in the economic contributions and associated job creation,” said Ron Ness, president of the NDPC. “Obviously, as prices decrease, the benefits previously enjoyed by the state government, households and other industries will be much lower as we work through the current price drop – no doubt impacts many are beginning to feel. We must be cautious to not further hinder these positive economic impacts through onerous or unnecessary regulation.”

The study was conducted by research scientist Dean Bangsund and Dr. Nancy Hodur, Research Assistant Professor at the NDSU Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. Bangsund and Hodur surveyed firms engaged in exploration and development, extraction and production, transportation, and processing of crude oil and natural gas. Data that was measured in this study but not included in previous surveys was an assessment of capital expenditures for infrastructure projects. To view the full study, visit http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/.

ATTACHMENT: “Economic Contributions” of the Oil and Gas Industry in 2013” Infographic

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

INTRODUCTION by Bob van der Valk, Senior Editor  |  Bakken Oil Business Journal

“In October 2014 crude oil barrels went down 4M barrels/day from 1,186,228 to 1,182,174 barrels/day.  The drilling rig count dropped 2 from September to October, an additional 3 from October to November, and has since fallen 5 more from November to today. The number of well completions decreased from 193(final) in September to 134(preliminary) in October. Three significant forces are driving the slow-down: oil price, flaring reduction, and oil conditioning.”

NDIC Department of Mineral Resources Director’s Cut Newsletter
December 13, 2014 – Lynn Helms

Crude Oil production:
Sep Oil 35,586,832 barrels = 1,186,228 barrels/day
Oct Oil 36,647,393 barrels = 1,182,174 barrels/day (preliminary)
1,118,010 barrels per day or 95% from Bakken and Three Forks
64,164 barrels per day or 5% from legacy conventional pools

Natural Gas Production:
Sep Gas 42,400,766 MCF = 1,413,359 MCF/day
Oct Gas 44,317,381 MCF = 1,429,593 MCF/day (preliminary)(NEW all-time high)
Sep Producing Wells = 11,758
Oct Producing Wells = 11,892 (preliminary)(NEW all-time high)
8,406 wells or 71% are now unconventional Bakken – Three forks wells
3,486 wells or 29% produce from legacy conventional pools

Permits issued:
Sep Permitting: 261 drilling and 2 seismic
Oct Permitting: 328 drilling and 1 seismic
Nov Permitting: 235 drilling and 1 seismic (all time high was 370 in 10/2012)

Crude oil pricing:
Sep Sweet Crude Price = $74.85/barrel
Oct Sweet Crude Price = $68.94/barrel
Nov Sweet Crude Price = $60.61/barrel
Today Sweet Crude Price = $41.75/barrel (lowest since March 2009) (all-time high was $136.29 7/3/2008)

Rig Count:
Sep rig count 193
Oct rig count 191
Nov rig count 188
Today’s rig count is 183 (all-time high was 218 on 5/29/2012)
The statewide rig count is down 16% from the high and in the five most active counties rig count is down as follows:
Divide -69% (high was 3/2013)
Dunn -26% (high was 6/2012)
McKenzie -15% (high was 1/2014)
Mountrail -20% (high was 6/2011)
Williams -16% (high was 10/2014)

Comments:
The drilling rig count dropped 2 from September to October, an additional 3 from October to November, and has since fallen 5 more from November to today. The number of well completions decreased from 193(final) in September to 134(preliminary) in October. Three significant forces are driving the slow-down: oil price, flaring reduction, and oil conditioning. Several operators have reported postponing completion work to achieve the NDIC gas capture goals. There were no major precipitation events, but there were 9 days with wind speeds in excess of 35 mph (too high for completion work).

Over 95% of drilling still targets the Bakken and Three Forks formations.

The drillers outpaced completion crews in October. At the end of October there were about 650 wells waiting on completion services, an increase of 40.

Crude oil take away capacity is expected to remain adequate as long as rail deliveries to coastal refineries keep growing.

Rig count in the Williston Basin is set to fall rapidly during the first quarter of 2015. Utilization rate for rigs capable of 20,000+ feet is currently about 90%, and for shallow well rigs (7,000 feet or less) about 60%.

Drilling permit activity peaked in October as operators worked on their summer programs, planned locations for next winter, and adjusted capital budgets.

The number of rigs actively drilling on federal surface in the Dakota Prairie Grasslands is down from 6 to 3.

Activity on the Fort Berthold Reservation is as follows:
28 drilling rigs (11 on fee lands and 17 on trust lands)
386,679 barrels of oil per day (149,547 from trust lands & 237,131 from fee lands)
1,371 active wells (1,044 on trust lands & 327 on fee lands)
172 wells waiting on completion
346 approved drilling permits (306 on trust lands & 40 on fee lands)
1,997 additional potential future wells (1,224 on trust lands & 773 on fee lands)

Seismic activity is slowing down with 5 surveys active/recording, 1 remediating, 0 suspended, and 1 permitted. There are now 3 buried arrays in North Dakota for monitoring and optimizing hydraulic fracturing.

North Dakota leasing activity is very low, consisting mostly of renewals and top leases in the Bakken – Three Forks area.

US natural gas storage is now 10% below the five-year average indicating slowly increasing prices in the future. North Dakota shallow gas exploration could be economic at future gas prices. As you are aware there is some exploration underway in Emmons County. The first well will be on confidential status until 12/23/14.

The price of natural gas delivered to Northern Border at Watford City is down $0.76 to $2.98/MCF. This results in a current oil to gas price ratio of 14 to 1. The percentage of gas flared dropped to 22%. The Tioga gas plant remained below 70% of full capacity due to delayed expansion of gas gathering from south of Lake Sakakawea.
capture percentage was 78% with the daily volume of gas flared from Sep to Oct decreasing 32.8 MMCFD. The historical high flared percent was 36% in 09/2011.

Gas capture statistics are as follows:
Statewide 78%
Statewide Bakken 78%
Non-FBIR Bakken 79%
FBIR Bakken 75%
October 2014 capture target =74%
January 2015 capture target =77%

BLM revised final regulations for hydraulic fracturing on federal and Indian lands were sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for interagency review on Oct 26 and Department of Interior continues to be committed to their goal of issuing a final rule by the end of 2014. After initial publication in 2012, BLM received over 177,000 comments and withdrew the rule. A new proposed rule was published in the federal register on 5/24/2013 and the comment period ended 8/23/2013. This time BLM received over 1.2 million comments. Thanks to all who provided comments in support of a “states first” policy.
BLM has started the process of new venting and flaring regulations with input sessions in Denver, Albuquerque, Dickinson, and Washington, DC.

EPA published an advanced notice of proposed rule-making to seek comment on the information that should be reported or disclosed for hydraulic fracturing chemical substances and mixtures and the mechanism for obtaining this information. The proposed rule-making is in response to a petition from Earthjustice and 114 other groups who are opposed to the use of the GWPC-IOGCC FracFocus website process of chemical disclosure and any type of trade secret protection for hydraulic fracturing fluid mixtures. These groups are requesting EPA regulation of chemical disclosure under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act.

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.