NORTH DAKOTA ASSOCIATION OF OIL AND GAS PRODUCING COUNTIES
NDAOGPC Newsletter
July 26, 2013 |
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Greetings!
|  The North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties (NDAOGPC) is the trusted and unified voice for the betterment of the citizens of North Dakota and the membership of the North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties. Through this newsletter we strive to provide accurate, up-to-date information surrounding the energy activities throughout the North Dakota energy producing counties. |
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NDAOGPC Annual Meeting Registration Now Open!
| Registration for the ND Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties' 2013 Annual Meeting is now available online at the Association website, http://www.ndenergy.org/AnnualMeeting.aspx.
This year's Annual Meeting will take place on Thursday, September 26, 2013 at the Ramada Grand Dakota Lodge in Dickinson, ND. A room block has been set up at the hotel.
Speaking this year will be State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt who will give an overview of oil and gas Gross Production Tax distributions and Joel Quanbeck of Ulteig who will share what was found in the NDAOGPC commissioned study of emergency service coverage in western North Dakota.
Additionally, we'll hear from Dept. of Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms, and Jim Arthaud, owner and CEO of MBI Energy Services will lead a panel of several oil and gas industry representatives in discussions on the current trends in oil and gas recovery.
Members will also have the opportunity to elect county, city, and school district committee members as well as the representatives on the Executive Committee. Current Executive Committee members up for reelection are Mountrail County Commissioner Greg Boschee and City Engineer for the City of Bowman, Dan Brosz. Bowman County School District Superintendent Tony Duletski will be leaving the Executive Committee after nine distinguished years of service. His replacement will also be elected.
We look forward to seeing you at this year's Annual Meeting!
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State Land Board Awards Energy Impact Grants to Political Subdivisions
| Over $54 million has been awarded in energy impact grants to municipalities in oil-impacted counties for infrastructure upgrades this week. On Thursday, July 25, the State Land Board met to discuss the Energy Infrastructure and Impact Office and Energy Impact Advisory Committee's recommendations for several grant awards.
The recommendations, which were all approved, included $39.66 million for non-hub city infrastructure projects. Watford City received $10 million for water supply/sewer improvement projects. Crosby was awarded $3 million for similar projects. $2 million was awarded to the City of Alexander for wastewater treatment improvements, and Killdeer received an award of $3.8 million for water supply truck line expansions and wastewater treatment service. The $39.66 million was "pledged" for these projects at a prior Land Board meeting and officially awarded at its July 25 meeting. About $31.2 million remains allocated for non-hub city infrastructure projects in fiscal year 2015, though it will wait to be officially awarded until that time.
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Governor Jack Dalrymple, chairman of the State Board of University and School Lands (Land Board), and Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler listen as Land Commissioner Lance Gaebe explains energy impact grant recommendations. The remaining Land Board members, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, Secretary of State Al Jaeger, and State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt, joined via telephone.
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The State Legislature also portioned out $14 million in energy impact grants for hub cities during the legislative session. Under HB 1358, the cities of Williston, Dickinson, and Minot were allocated $2 million, $7 million, and $5 million, respectively. Those funds were also officially awarded at Thursday's meeting. Williston will use its $2 million for upgrades to its sewer plant. Dickinson will apply its $7 million award to water and wastewater treatment improvements, and Minot will use the $5 million it was awarded for sewer improvement projects.
Another legislatively allocated portion of the energy impact grants, $3 million to be used toward county road dust control pilot studies, was also awarded. Receiving $1 million each to find dust control best practices were Bowman, Dunn, and Mountrail counties. The results of the three counties' studies on dust control are intended to be used by other counties in the region, many of which may see a portion of an additional $3 million that's been pledged for future dust control grant awards.
Law enforcement support grants were also looked at by the Land Board. Almost $1.4 million was awarded to help support local law enforcement agencies in the oil patch. Over $390,000 was awarded out of the $7 million legislatively allocated amount for county sheriffs' departments. That pool of money went to help in funding items like new patrol vehicles and equipment like radars, radios, weapons, and vests, as well as housing allowances and overtime pay for officers and support staff.
During the legislative session, an additional $9.6 million was specifically portioned out of the $240 million energy impact grant total for use by the Attorney General's office on law enforcement support. Of that $9.6 million, the Land Board awarded almost $1 million on Thursday. $750,000 of the total will allow for a one year subscription to Lexipol's Law Enforcement Policy Manual, which will enable all law enforcement agencies with sworn personnel to have access and use it to operate more efficiently and effectively.
For more information on the energy impact grant awards, check out these news links:
Bismarck Tribune
Dickinson Press
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Highway 85 News
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 Officials from western North Dakota, including Theodore Roosevelt Expressway (TRE) Executive Director Cal Klewin, will be meeting this Monday, July 29 with ND Dept. of Transportation staff about the need to four-lane Highway 85 through the Long X Bridge corridor in the rugged badlands near the North Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt park. The NDDOT has received two letters of protest to four-laning the major road corridor near the north unit of the park, citing concerns for wildlife. The NDDOT has discussed wildlife tunnels or pass thrus as one way to mitigate the impacts of the proposed wider highway.
The Dickinson Press recently featured an editorial piece on Highway 85, which you can view by clicking this link. Another Dickinson Press article, available through this link, has more information on the concerns of impacts to wildlife.
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Upcoming Events
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August 22, 2013
Vision West ND Consortium meeting in Bottineau, ND. September 12-14, 2013ND League of Cities Annual Conference in Bismarck, ND. A preliminary agenda and links to register for the conference are available here or by visiting the League of Cities website at www.ndlc.org. September 16-18, 2013The ND Petroleum Council will hold its annual meeting September 16-18, 2013 in Grand Forks, ND. The meeting will be held in the Alerus Center. Registration is set to open Tuesday, June 25. More information can be found by visiting the ND Petroleum Council website at www.ndoil.org.
September 26, 2013
Be sure to mark your calendars for the NDAOGPC 2013 Annual Meeting set for Thursday, September 26, 2013 at the Ramada Grand Dakota in Dickinson, ND. Online registration is now available at http://www.ndenergy.org/AnnualMeeting.aspx.
October 6-8, 2013Online registration is now open for the ND Association of Counties Annual Conference, scheduled for October 6-8 at the Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck. Visit the NDACo website at www.ndaco.org for more information and to register.
May 20-22, 2014
The 22nd Annual Williston Basin Petroleum Conference will be held May 20-22, 2014 at the Bismarck Civic Center in Bismarck, ND. There have already been over 200 hotel rooms reserved for this conference. We recommend booking the hotel rooms that you need now. Conference registration opens on January 29, 2014.
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Oil and Gas Stats
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WTI Crude: $104.41
Brent Crude: $106.89
Natural Gas: $3.61
ND Rig Count: 184
From the ND Petroleum Council's News Clips for July 26, 2013 |
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Please take your time to review all materials and links provided for your convenience. We will continue to provide you up-to-date information on upcoming events and news happening in North Dakota's oil and gas producing counties!
Sincerely,
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Vicky Steiner
Executive Director
Brady Pelton
Deputy Executive Director
ND Assoc. of Oil & Gas Producing Counties
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