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North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties
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Stay Connected
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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.
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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.
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 Thank 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.
Have a great weekend!
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The Association's Executive Committee approved a study on dust as proposed by the UND Civil Engineering department, under the direction of Dr. Daba Gadafa earlier this week.
 The study will cost the Association $39,844 and it begins June 1. Dr. Gadafa and his team will be collecting dust samples in five counties - McKenzie, Mountrail, Williams, Grand Forks and Cass counties. As one travels in western North Dakota on oil haul roads, it becomes obvious as the dust becomes thick and that it's impacting the safety of travel. It may be impacting adjacent crops and livestock as well.
The research team will collect dust monthly and analyze the content. Traffic counts will also be taken in conjunction with the collection. The study will be presented after October 31, 2014. Traffic counters used in the study will be given to the sponsors.
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State Freight Plan Gathers Public Comment
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 Public input meetings were held in Fargo, Williston, and Bismarck this week Tuesday through Thursday to discuss the designation of a state strategic freight system and the process to identify potential freight-related problems. The meetings allowed members of the public to hear from Jack Olson of the NDDOT Planning and Asset Management Division and ask questions related to the state's freight plan. The purpose of the ND State Freight Plan is essentially to "define the process NDDOT uses to promote safe, secure, sustainable, and reliable freight mobility to enhance a diversified and vibrant economy," according to the plan's executive summary.
"Freight is what fuels the economy," Olson said on opening the input meeting in Bismarck. He added that agriculture, energy, and manufacturing growth, and the population increase association with that growth, are increasing the expectations the public has from its transportation system.
Tara Vesey, Dakota Gasification Company Transportation Manager, said "the DOT has done a good job of considering everything that goes into freight planning," according to an interview she gave with KX News after the Bismarck meeting. She added during the comment period of the meeting that she was concerned with the effects spring thaw road restrictions have on her company during a critical time of the year. Increased transportation costs of moving fertilizer to the southwest corner of North Dakota in the spring of each year, she said, are often increased with the need to split loads between multiple trucks in order to follow spring road restrictions.
The State Freight Plan is available at www.dot.nd.gov/divisions/planning/freight for review.
On the site is a survey, which members of the public may fill out. Also included is an Executive Summary of the State Freight Plan.
If you were unable to attend the public input meeting, written statements or comments may be mailed to:
Jack Olson, ND Department of Transportation
608 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505
You may also contact Olson directly by emailing jolson@nd.gov with "State Freight Plan" in the e-mail subject heading.
The public comment period on the State Freight Plan will close on June 30, 2014.
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Map of the proposed Strategic Freight System.
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Hynek brothers leave fate of Mountrail County to new leaders
- Lauren Donovan, Bismarck Tribune
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The Hynek brothers Mike, standing, and David, with deep farming roots in Mountrail County and a history of public leadership, are both stepping down from public office this year.
Photo, caption, and story credit to Lauren Donovan, Bismarck Tribune.
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Brothers whose capable hands helped steer Mountrail County and its biggest city through the Bakken boom phenomenon are going farming and fishing instead. David and Mike Hynek, with roots four generations deep in the slough-filled, oil-drilled countryside of home, say they've fought the hard fight long enough. Each has been a valuable public servant, bringing to bear decency and the example of a father who prized work above rhetoric on an industrial growth frenzy that may never be repeated. David Hynek, 67, will leave the Mountrail County Commission after 17 years. Mike Hynek, 55, will leave the mayor's spot on the Stanley City Council after eight years and four earlier on the council. These are positions that in most cases would consume a reasonable amount of a person's time and fortitude. But "reasonable" doesn't apply to Stanley and Mountrail County, where oil development hit first and hardest. It hasn't for some time. Its oil production joined with neighboring McKenzie County's alone makes it the second-largest oil producer in the country next to Texas. Click here to continue reading Donovan's article.
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Dickinson and Grand Forks Teaming Up
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Joe Rothschiller talks about having the Bakken opportunity and how it's grown Steffes Manufacturing in the last three years.
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Joe Rothschiller, Steffes Manufacturing President for the past 26 years, told Dickinson Rotary members Wednesday that the Bakken oil play means more investment in Grand Forks, ND. He said they found an opportunity to expand a second time in Grand Forks and they will be moving forward with it as their product lines continue to grow dramatically with Bakken activity. Three years ago, they didn't make an engineered flare. Today, it generates 2 million dollars. It's sold in other oil and gas shale plays as a response to an industry problem meeting EPA regulations on Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs.
Steffes also designs oil field heater treaters that used to take two weeks to construct on site. Now, the company can deliver the treaters, and they are set up in two days. Rothschiller expects the company to double its $120 million sales in the near future. Owner Paul Steffes is leading the nation, he said, in residential water heater design that uses wind, solar and off-peak heat to store the renewable energy and benefit the consumer with lower heating bills. Rothschiller advised, "Listen to the voice of the customer."
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| Dept. of Mineral Resources and ND Pipeline Authority May Publications Now Available |
 North Dakota's preliminary March oil production numbers indicate an all-time high at 977,051 barrels per day according to the most recently released Director's Cut publication from the ND Department of Mineral Resources (DMR).
DMR Director Lynn Helm notes in the 'Comments' section that "the number of well completions was up sharply from 70 to 200. Investor confidence remains strong. There were still approximately 50 wells shut in for the Tioga gas plant conversion in an attempt to minimize flaring, but the biggest production impact was still the weather. March began with 2-3 days of temperatures well below zero, add to that 7-12 days with wind speeds too high for completion work, and then 8 inches of snow on the last day of the month. In like a lion and out like a lion makes oil and gas work difficult."
 The ND Pipeline Authority's May 2014 issue of the Pipeline Publication has also been released. You can view the issue here.
Please visit www.northdakotapipelines.com for monthly updates, maps, presentations, reports, data, and more.
To receive this quarterly publication directly by email, you can sign up here.
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NDAOGPC Continues to Accept Applications for 2014 Scholarship Awards
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ATTENTION ND STUDENTS!!
T he NDAOGPC is again sponsoring a scholarship program for students in North Dakota focusing on energy-related degrees. Students who have completed 12 credit hours or more are welcome to apply for one of six scholarships that will be awarded in August 2014. Applicants should be pursuing degrees in engineering, chemistry, geology, petroleum sciences or other studies directly related to the oil and gas industry. Invitations to apply for the Association's 2014 scholarships were recently sent to all North Dakota colleges, universities, and vocational schools. We strongly encourage all readers to share this opportunity with anyone they believe may qualify. The application can be downloaded HERE .
Last year, the Association awarded a total of $10,000 to six deserving students. Don't miss this great opportunity to gain financial assistance for an industry related education! The deadline for application submission is June 15, 2014.
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Upcoming Events
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May 20-22, 2014
The 2014 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference will be held next week, May 20-22, 2014, at the Bismarck Civic Center in Bismarck, ND. The full agenda can be found here. You can still register for the event by clicking here.
For more information regarding the conference, please visit www.wbpcnd.org or contact event coordinators at 701.223.6380 and ndpc@ndoil.org.
June 3, 2014
HUD and USDA will be hosting a Federal Housing Training on Tuesday, June 3rd in Fargo. As housing continues to be a top issue across North Dakota communities, this day-long training will focus on Single-Family, Multi-Family and Special Initiatives. The target audience is anyone involved in the housing industry including: lenders, realtors, home builders, elected officials, home builders, economic developers, and public housing officials.
There is no cost to attend the training, but pre-registration is required. The HUD/USDA training will be a great opportunity to get important updates on changes to federal housing programs and to network with other housing professionals. The training will also include a federal housing legislative update from representatives of Sen. Hoeven and Sen. Heitkamp's offices.
Click here to register. Click here to view itinerary.
June 12, 2014
 You don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that the better a gravel road is made...the less it costs to maintain.
Join Ken Skorseth, SD LTAP and Gravel Guru, on Thursday, June 12, 2014 for a FREE live and on-demand webinar exploring gravel road construction best practices straight from the field (via video) including how to: assess your gravel road conditions, prepare the road, apply stabilizer, and roll and finish your unpaved roads.
Travel with us to the site (without leaving your office) as Ken walks us through four live, in-field videos demonstrating real-time the best practices from the field. We'll cover the best practices in how to properly assess your site's conditions, prepare the road, apply the stabilizer, and roll and finish your unpaved roads. Then, after our virtual tour, grill Ken with your questions during our live Q&A session.
Learning Objectives
Attendees can expect the discussion and education of the following learning objectives:
- Road Design: Understanding of construction to reshaping including
shape and drainage, aggregate considerations, and alternatives - Road Maintenance: Understanding of grading to material
replacement - Road Stabilization: Understanding of the process involved, the
products required, and the benefits you can expect - Program Efficiency: Understanding of cost vs. savings, air quality
and safety, and potential sources of funding
The free webinar will begin at 1:00pm CDT and is expect to last 1-1.5 hours. Click here to register!
Gravel Roads Academy, sponsored by DustGard® Road Stabilizer, offers information and training on how to better maintain your gravel roads for superior stabilization, greater cost savings, and better air quality.
Learn more Gravel Roads Academy Website
June 25, 2014 
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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.
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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 |
400 East Broadway Avenue Suite 304 Bismarck, ND 58501
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Copyright © 2013. All Rights Reserved.
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