(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.

Registration for the North Dakota Petroleum Council’s (NDPC) 34th Annual Meeting to be held in Fargo, N.D., on Sept. 21-23, 2015 will open July 8. The Annual Meeting will include presentations from several industry leaders and key decision makers who will focus on the biggest issues and challenges facing the oil and gas industry today.

In addition to the Annual Meeting, the NDPC will co-host an informational seminar, “Drilling Bits and Coding Bytes” that will be free and open the public. The seminar will focus on the technological advances and contributions that Fargo-area businesses are making to enhance the petroleum industry. A Bakken Basics Information Session will also be held for those wishing to learn more about oil and gas development from industry experts.

“We are excited to be in Fargo this year for our annual meeting,” said Ron Ness, president for the NDPC. “The opportunities extend far beyond the Bakken, into the Red River Valley and across state borders. There are tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs to find their niche and help mold a modern, technology-driven oilfield. There’s no better place that proves that better than Fargo, which is home to world-class technology and research facilities.”

“We are so excited and proud to be hosting our first North Dakota Petroleum event in Fargo,” said Jill Halvorson with the Fargo-Moorhead Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It is an honor to be able to show off what we love about Fargo to a group that is coming from all across our great state. We will be pulling out all the stops to make sure that when they leave on Sept. 23, the question will be ‘When can we come back?’”

The information sessions and seminar will be held Monday, Sept. 21 in the Fargo Theater in Downtown Fargo and are free to attend.

The NDPC Annual Meeting will be held at the Ramada Plaza Suites on Sept. 22 and 23. Registration for NDPC members is $300 and $600 for nonmembers. For registration and more information about the meeting, including a full list of hotels in Fargo, dining, flights, and the most up-to-date agenda, visit https://annualmeeting.risprojects.org/Default.aspx.

Media wishing to register for the annual meeting may request media credentials from Tessa Sandstrom at 701-557-7744 or tsandstrom@ndoil.org.
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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 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. For more information, go to www.ndoil.org.

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

Bismarck, N.D. – The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) will host the Oil Can! Community Day on Monday, Sept. 16 during its Annual Meeting at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. The Community Day will include two Bakken Basics Education Sessions, a barbecue, activities for kids, and access to the NDPC Members-Only Showcase.

“We are able to host educational sessions about the oil and gas industry in western North Dakota throughout the year through our Bakken Rocks CookFests and other events, but many residents in the eastern half of the state haven’t had the opportunity to attend these kinds of events,” said Tessa Sandstrom, NDPC communications manager. “By holding our Annual Meeting in Grand Forks, we are bringing the Bakken east and giving residents of the Red River Valley the chance to learn more about the Bakken and ask industry experts about oil and gas development in North Dakota.”

The Bakken Basics Education Sessions are scheduled for 2:30-4 p.m. and 4-5:30 p.m. and will include talks by Ron Ness, president of the NDPC; Lynn Helms, director for the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources; and Kathy Neset, president of Neset Consulting Service. A community barbecue featuring smoked pulled pork, smoked sausage and BBQ chicken, courtesy of Halliburton, will follow the educational sessions and go until 7:30 p.m. NDPC member exhibits and activities for kids, including a face painter, balloon artist and bounce house and slide will be open from 3-7:30 p.m. Exhibitors include Grand Forks businesses, as well as leading oil and gas producers and service companies operating in the Bakken. A pumping unit, workover rig, wireline truck, crane and ONEOK’s Natural Gas Mobile Museum will also be on display.

The Oil Can! Community Day is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.northdakotaoilcan.com/events/2013CommunityDay/.

The NDPC Annual Meeting will run from Monday, Sept. 16 to Wednesday, Sept. 18, and will feature a keynote address from legendary Notre Dame coach, Lou Holtz. An agenda and costs for attending the full meeting are available at https://annualmeeting.risprojects.org. Members of the media wishing to attend may contact Tessa Sandstrom at tsandstrom@ndoil.org or 701-557-7744.

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 420 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% of the 243 million barrels of oil produced in North Dakota last year. For more information, go to www.ndoil.org.

BISMARCK, ND – The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) today announced that legendary Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz will provide a keynote address during the NDPC’s Annual Meeting to be held Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND. Holtz took his Notre Dame teams to nine straight New Year’s Day bowl games from 1987 through 1995 and remains 11th on the NCAA all-time win list for Division I-A coaches.

“The petroleum industry has had incredible success in helping our economy and our country, and I am delighted to be joining the North Dakota Petroleum Council and its members in Grand Forks,” said Holtz. “There are a great deal of similarities between being a coach and one of the many industry leaders who have seized this tremendous opportunity to help move our state and nation forward. Just as on the athletic field, the ability of leaders to adapt, find solutions for evolving challenges and issues, and capitalize on opportunities makes for a winning proposition.”

“We are excited to have a legend like Coach Holtz join us at our 32nd Annual Meeting,” said Ron Ness, president of the NDPC. “Coach Holtz’s record as a coach demonstrates his ability to motivate others, and there is no doubt his talk will be an inspiration for our attendees and the leaders of our state and the industry.”

Also joining Holtz as a featured speaker at the Annual Meeting will be Statoil’s General Manager of North America, Bill Maloney; Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s CEO Matt Rose; and North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple.

In addition to the business meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 18, this year’s Annual Meeting will feature a Community Education Day and BBQ on Sept. 16. The event will be free and open to the public and will include two Bakken Basics Education sessions, which will be held from 2:30-4 p.m. and 4-5:30 p.m. in Ballrooms 4 and 5 in the Alerus Center. A free BBQ will be held from 5-7:30 p.m. and the community is invited to attend and visit the Members Only Showcase, which will be open from 3:30-7:30 p.m.

“We are excited to take our Annual Meeting to Grand Forks this year and showcase the support, products and services that many of the businesses in the Red River Valley provide for the Bakken,” said Terry Kovacevich, NDPC chairman and regional vice president for Marathon Oil. “Many business leaders in eastern North Dakota have capitalized on the opportunities provided by the petroleum industry in western North Dakota, which has created jobs and helped the economies of communities from Pembina to Wahpeton.”

NDPC members will also have an opportunity to showcase their products and services during a Members Only Showcase to be held for Annual Meeting attendees on Tuesday, Sept. 17. For a full schedule and agenda of speakers, visit https://annualmeeting.risprojects.org/agenda.aspx. 

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 420 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% of the 243 million barrels of oil produced in North Dakota last year.  For more information, go to www.ndoil.org.