NDAOGPC
North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties
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Basin Bits Magazine

This semiannual magazine, published in the spring and fall, is the official publication of the ND Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties.

To sign up to receive a copy of the magazine, please click here.

To read the latest Basin Bits edition via PDF, click this link.  
Uniform County Truck Permit System

This is a county road permit system for over-weight or over-width vehicles on county roads. Since 1986, the NDAOGPC has operated the Uniform County Truck Permit program as a service to counties and the petroleum industry.

For more information or to get permits, click here.

For the latest information on County Road Restrictions, click this link.
January 17, 2014
 

Derrick wellThank you for your continued interest in the activity of the ND Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties.

We hope that you will find this week's News From the NDAOGPC as a valuable source of information related to the political subdivisions within western North Dakota.

As with all of our publications, we welcome your feedback in order to provide the most quality service as possible.

Have a great weekend!
Williston Leaders Say Farewell
Ward Koeser
Mayor Ward Koeser. Photo courtesy of the Williston Herald.

With six months remaining in his last term as mayor of Williston, E. Ward Koeser considers his past 20 years in office a blessing.

 

On Wednesday, Koeser, 64, sat behind his managerial desk at Kotana Communications and discussed his past and present experiences working for the city, his reasons for stepping down and his hopes for the incoming mayor to be determined in June.

 

To read more of the Williston Herald feature, click here.

 

Alan Hanson
Williston Fire Chief Alan Hanson. Photo courtesy of the Williston Herald.

Williston Fire Chief Alan Hanson has also announced his retirement after serving seven years as the city's department head. Click here to read more about Hanson's service to the community and plans for filling the vacancy.

 

From the ND Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties, we offer a sincere "thank you" to both Chief Hanson and Mayor Koeser for their commitment to their community and best wishes for the future.   

Legal Research Underway
The NDAOGPC Executive Committee met Tuesday this week in Bismarck with attorney Peter Koller of Moss & Barnett, Minneapolis via videoconference.  The Executive Committee decided at its June 2013 meeting that it wanted more legal opinions on the distribution of the 5% oil and gas gross production tax as it relates to the state's constitution.  Koller said he would do research on the foundation of the tax, what the rules are for "fees" allowed and the oil schools' 75% deduction of state aid because of oil mineral "in lieu of property tax".  The deduction in state aid leaves schools without the ability to meet the demands of growth.  Koller will have his initial findings completed by late February. 

 

During the 2013 legislative session, $400 million was cut from the oil county bill, HB 1358, at the tail end of the session.  The oil and gas gross production tax distribution money for oil counties, cities and schools was only partially restored, which has been a hardship to many of the Association's member political subdivisions.
Vision West ND Regional Plan Update
Vision West Logo The Vision West ND project has cleared another hurdle in its objective toward forming a Regional Plan for western North Dakota. The administrative team for Vision West ND met from Tuesday through Thursday this week to review the Regional Plan draft and make recommendations for changes. Now that this step is complete, the draft will be reviewed by the Vision West ND Consortium, which will meet February 6, 2014 in Minot, ND. For more information, check out the Vision West ND website at www.VisionWestND.com.
Outdoor Heritage Fund Advisory Board Makes Funding Recommendations

 Officials involved with a state conservation fund approved last year by lawmakers believe they've laid the groundwork for a successful program with the first dollars close to final approval.

 

The Outdoor Heritage Fund Advisory Board advanced its first batch of recommendations to the North Dakota Industrial Commission this week.

 

The Industrial Commission will take up the recommendations at its Jan. 29 meeting.

 

Eighteen recommendations totaling more than $5.9 million were recommended for approval. The 12-member board met on Monday and Tuesday and reviewed 74 total projects.

 

Click here to read more of the Bismarck Tribune article on the recommendations. 

 

For more information on the Outdoor Heritage Fund program, check out this information page on the ND Industrial Commission website. 

U.S. Energy Self-Sufficiency By 2035?
The U.S. will be able to provide for all its own energy needs by 2035 as output of shale oil and gas accelerates and demand growth slows, BP Plc said.

The country, which became the world's biggest producer of liquid energy last year, will produce more gas and coal than it consumes, BP said in its Energy Outlook 2035 report Wednesday.

 

The report highlights how technology to exploit shale resources by grinding underground rocks to release oil and gas will transform the global energy trade over the next two decades. Asia and Europe will become the main importers of fuel while the rest of the world exports, and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will have to rein in output to prevent prices from falling.

 

For more information
Western ND Fight Against Drug Trafficking To Gain Special Prosecutor
The North Dakota Attorney General's Office is advertising for a special prosecutor who will serve a dual role in federal court to combat drug trafficking that has followed the state's oil boom.

The new position - which still needs approval from state lawmakers - represents the first dedication of federal resources resulting from a decision in November by the U.S. Office of Drug Control Policy to designate Williams County as a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

 

For more information

Continental Resources Conducting Study on Well Density Optimization

A $128 million dollar study will look at how many wells can be on one pad to optimize production -- is it one, six, or twenty-eight?  

 

A multi-well drilling pad in Dunn County is putting that question to the test. "As a regulator, this well density business is job one. It sets the stage for the next 20 years," says Director of Mineral Resources Lynn Helms.

 

Continental Resources will drill 20 wells in this unit. With horizontal legs reaching into the five productive layers of the Bakken and Three Forks. The key is determining how many wells are needed to drain each layer.

 

Helms says, "as you expand and do phase 3 drilling across this 15,000 square miles. It's going to determine the number of pads and the optimum number of wells per pad."

 

Which is important given that Helms has approved drilling orders for more than 1.5 times the wells that are currently producing. "Clearly knowing what the right well density is will make it much more rational in how we develop the oil," says Helms.

 

For more information 

Upcoming Events

January 20, 2014

The Bismarck office of the NDAOGPC will be closed Monday, January 20

in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. All phone calls and emails will be returned as quickly as possible the following day. 

 

February 6, 2014

There will be a Vision West ND Consortium Meeting on February 6, 2014. The meeting is scheduled from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, CST at the Sleep Inn in Minot, located at 2400 10th Street SW next to the Dakota Square Mall. The agenda's primary focus will be on the Consortium's discussion, editing and eventual approval of the Vision West ND Regional Plan. The annual election of officers for 2014 will also be held.

 

February 10-12, 2014

The Bakken-Three Forks Shale Oil Innovation Conference & Expo will be held February 10-12 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND. The conference and expo is the nation's only shale oil conference with a comprehensive agenda focused on the innovations shaping the Bakken and Three Forks shale oil play. NDAOGPC Executive Director Vicky Steiner is slated to present to conference attendees on issues surrounding oil tax distribution. More information on the conference is available through this link.

 

February 25, 2014

The ND Local Technical Assistance Program (NDLTAP) is hosting a roundtable discussion meeting for oil and gas producing county officials on Tuesday, February 25 at the Buckskin Bar and Grill in Killdeer, ND. The meeting will begin at 10:00 AM CT and go until 3:00 PM. This is an informal meeting where the challenges and successes of road issues in the oil producing counties will be discussed. Participants are asked to register for the meeting in order to ensure an accurate meal count. Please contact NDLTAP Training Coordinator Denise Brown at (701) 328-9856 for more information.

 

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. More information is available here

September 18, 2014
Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2014 Annual Meeting of the ND Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties to be held Thursday, September 18, 2014 at the Grand Williston Hotel in Williston, ND. Information on hotel room blocks, the registration process, and sponsorship opportunities will be shared as we get closer to the event.

Oil and Gas Stats

 

ND Petroleum Council Logo

WTI Crude: $94.86

Brent Crude: $106.32

Natural Gas: $4.35

ND Rig Count: 187

 

From the ND Petroleum Council's News Clips
for January 17, 2014.
Please take your time to review all materials and links provided for your convenience. We at the ND Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties 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,

Vicky Steiner
Executive Director

Brady Pelton
Deputy Executive Director

ND Association of Oil & Gas Producing Counties 
NDAOGPC | 701-751-3597 | www.ndenergy.org

400 East Broadway Avenue
Suite 304
Bismarck, ND 58501

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