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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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Greetings!  July 4th celebrates the American spirit of independence and innovation. It's certainly a time of fireworks and connecting with family and friends. Thank you for reading our newsletter and have a safe Fourth of July holiday! |
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McKenzie County Commissioners work through their agenda as the number one oil producing county in North Dakota. |
Vision West Administrative Team members Shirley Brentrup and Vicky Steiner explained the progress of the local and regional plans at the Tuesday regular McKenzie County commission meeting. Chairman Ron Anderson also serves on the Executive Committee of the North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties. One of the requirements of the grant, which officially concludes January 2015, is a signature that the counties have received the regional plan. As Shirley Brentrup explained to the commission, the regional plan is a compilation of ideas from the people who participated. Emerging challenges might not be included because the plan was collected last year.
 There are new ideas, such as a ferry to move passenger traffic across Lake Sakakawea, allowing less congestion on Highway 85 as ND DOT four lanes Highway 85 from Watford City, ND to Williston, ND. Brentrup and Steiner also met with the Williams County Commissioners. Besides Vision West topics, county commissioner in both McKenzie and Williams county were interested in what the local oil funding scenarios might be next legislative session.
The Executive Committee of the NDAOGPC recently endorsed two legislative initiatives: a "surge" payment, as suggested by Sen. Rich Wardner, to ensure a 2015 construction season for Bakken oil impacted counties that would roll out early in the session along with a change in the 5% gross production tax so that political subdivisions could maintain the growth. |
| Denver Workshop Shows Divergent Views on Oil
About 30 local government officials gathered at the Denver Sturm Law Center to discuss oil and gas exploration in their respective states.
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Dickinson City Administrator Shawn Kessel shares facts about the Bakken growth rate at Denver workshop on oil and gas. |
Linda Svihovec, McKenzie County Auditor, Brent Bogar, former Williston city commissioner,Shawn Kessel, Dickinson City Administrator and Vicky Steiner, NDAOGPC Executive Director also attended. Kessel recommended that newly oil emerging cities consider developer agreements to protect the city zoning plan and comprehensive plan. The mayor of Culver City and Carson city, California expressed concern that their residents wouldn't be hired for the oil work. Boulder, Colorado has enacted a temporary moratorium against hydraulic fracturing and their spokesman said the residents are not supportive and they will continue to explore their city options with state law. California's Kern County, which has a Bakersfield legacy oil development, works to support all industries, including oil and gas. Their planner said Kern County has brought in billions of dollars of new industrial investment in all types of industries including renewables by working with industry and the farmer/rancher community to resolve issues.  The group came to the consensus that one size will not fit all in oil and gas policy as each state has its own culture and experiences.
The workshop was supported by a land institute in Massachusetts and a consensus group from Washington, D.C. The presentations will be published later this month and made available through this newsletter at that time. |
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SW Counties Group Updated on Lawsuit
McKenzie County Commissioner Roger Chinn gave the Association of SW Counties an update on a current lawsuit action Monday, June 30 at their meeting in Dickinson. Chinn said the federal government has overstepped their boundaries on taking control over county section lines. There are 4 SW counties and 4 grazing associations that have entered into a lawsuit to retain county control.
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McKenzie County officials and commissioners work from temporary modular structures while their courthouse is under construction. |
Chinn said "this is getting to be a pretty big deal." The next step is mediation. Chinn told the county officials that "this is very, very important but not cheap", referring to the cost of litigation against the federal government. There are federal lands managed by the forest service and Bureau of Land Management that were acquired in the 1930s in western North Dakota. The federal government has closed a section line in Billings County for a school section and the state of North Dakota has been drawn into the debate
Vicky Steiner, Executive Director NDAOGPC, also spoke on Vision West and the growing support for increasing local share of the Gross Production Tax formula. The Dickinson Press reported on the meeting. |
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Upcoming Events
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July 4, 2014 The Bismarck office of the NDAOGPC will be closed Friday, July 4, 2014 for Independence Day. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!
July 15 & 17, 2014
The NDPC will host its 6th Annual Bakken Rocks! CookFest on July 15th in Kenmare, ND and July 17th in Dunn Center, ND. CookFest is a community outreach event that is held in two communities impacted by oil and gas development and is an opportunity for the industry to give back while residents learn more about the industry and the companies operating in their area. CookFest includes a Bakken Basics Education session, live entertainment and BBQ served by industry CookTeams.
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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Oil and Gas Stats
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WTI Crude: $104.48
Brent Crude: $111.24
Natural Gas: $4.36
ND Rig Count: 192
July 3, 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 |
400 East Broadway Avenue Suite 304 Bismarck, ND 58501
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