November 29, 2019 -- Full Pardon
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Governor Doug Burgum grants a full pardon to Lilly, "a top-notch turkey from Tolna,
who will be back on the farm this Thanksgiving, safe to gobble without being gobbled."
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Hess to Launch Mountrail County EOR Project
The North Dakota Industrial Commission gave its blessing this week to an enhanced oil recovery project that will inject produced gas into existing oil wells in hopes of stimulating additional oil production.
Department of Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms said the project is a follow-up to an unsuccessful Williams County EOR project conducted by Liberty Resources. It failed at least in part because the company did not have sufficient gas to achieve the desired result. But Helms said the Hess project will have plenty of gas.
Click
here to listen to Helms' comments.
Helms said the Hess project will use what he called a "secret sauce," a surfactant that will create a foam that will be mixed with the gas injected into the oil wells.
Click
here to listen to Helms' comments.
The pilot project, which will inject more than 3 billion cubic feet of gas over a two-year period, will be conducted in the Big Butte field near Ross. He described it as a "huff-and-puff," which means each well will be cycled through an injection period, a soak period and then a production period. The company will move from well to well throughout the time period, closely monitoring the results.
Helms said that Hess will report results from the project on a monthly basis. He said if the project is successful, "the information about how to do this will become public and spread to the whole industry very quickly."
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Proxy Votes Should Reflect State Interests
Land Board Responds to Fossil Fuel Divestment
The North Dakota Board of University of School Lands is considering changes to its proxy voting policy to ensure that the firms hired to invest state trust funds are basing their investment decisions on the best interests of the state.
The Land Board's discussion this week comes in response to campaigns by environmental activists aimed at discouraging investment in fossil fuels. Lands Commissioner Jodi Smith proposed changes to the board's
Proxy Voting policy to state that it expects proxy votes on behalf of the state's trusts to be, among other things, "based solely on enhancing or protecting long-term value to the assets under its control and not on establishing or endorsing social policy.”
Governor Doug Burgum, who chairs the five-member
Land Board, half-jokingly suggested its name should be changed to the "Land
and Minerals Board" because most of the revenue generated by state trust lands comes from oil, gas and coal royalties, rather than renting the land's surface. Burgum said investment policies should reflect the fact that much of the state's tax revenue comes from fossil fuels.
Click
here to listen to Burgum's comments.
Burgum said it's important the state send a clear message that it encourages investment in fossil fuel industries because there's a constant struggle for capital in the oil patch.
Click
here to listen to Burgum's comments.
The Land Department manages
13 permanent education trusts, the largest of which is the Common Schools Trust Fund with a balance of more than $4 billion.
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GRE to Look at Capturing Carbon Dioxide
Great River Energy was awarded a $4.2 million grant this week through the Lignite Research Council to support preliminary front end engineering and design work on a carbon dioxide capture system at the company's Coal Creek Station. The grant was approved by the ND Industrial Commission.
The GRE project is intended to demonstrate that CO2 capture and storage at the 1,154 MW lignite power plant near Underwood can be an economically feasible means of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Mike Holmes, director of research for the Lignite Energy Council, said the Coal Creek facility provides two sources of carbon dioxide, both the electric generating plant and the adjacent ethanol plant.
Click
here to listen to Holmes' comments.
The project includes a 3D seismic survey for injecting 200,000 tons of CO2 from Blue Flint Ethanol into an on-site geologic formation. In its grant application, Great River Energy said it expects the results of the research will provide insights into overall costs, benefits, and operational issues and opportunities associated with integrating a CO2 capture system into Coal Creek Station.
The economics of CO2 capture projects are driven by the availability of a Section 45Q tax credit that offers $50/ton for storage of carbon dioxide and $35/ton for CO2 used in an EOR project. To qualify for the credits, construction of a CO2-capture project must be underway by January 2024.
Click
here to read or download GRE's grant application.
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Enrollment Continues to Tick Upward
With few exceptions, school enrollment numbers are higher this fall among districts in western North Dakota, especially those in the heart of the oilpatch.
Based on sheer numbers, the biggest increase was in the Dickinson School District which gained 196 students this fall. The district's 2019-20 enrollment stands at 3,955, including 398 kids in kindergarten.
The biggest percentage increase by far goes to Williams County No. 8 which saw its student population jump more than 25 percent. The K-8 district added 163 students bringing its 2019-20 enrollment total to 801. It's the second year in a row that No. 8 saw a big increase. Last fall the district added 165 students, so overall its enrollment is up more than 70% in just the past two years.
The Williston No. 1 district by contrast saw barely a one percent increase this fall, gaining 54 students for a total of 4,403. Last fall Williston added nearly 270 students. The student count in the Minot District was also up only one percent. The district added 71 students, bringing its fall enrollment to 7,594.
The McKenzie County School District based in Watford City gained 103 students this fall, bringing its total enrollment to 1,905. Size wise, that puts McKenzie Co. squarely in the middle between Devils Lake (1,668) and Jamestown (2,192). Ten years ago the Watford City school had just 540 students.
Some other western districts and their 2019-20 enrollment:
- Alexander 259 (up 17)
- Beach 253 (dn 13)
- Belfield 256 (up 23)
- Beulah 724 (up 2)
- Bottineau 642 (dn 13)
- Bowman County 489 (up 18)
- Center-Stanton 243 (up 15)
- Divide County 379 (up 23)
- Eight-Mile #6 (Trenton) 306 (up 4)
- Garrison 370 (up 23)
- Hazen 568 (up 23)
- Hettinger 277 (up 16)
- Kenmare 293 (dn 10)
- Killdeer 584 (up 29)
- Mohall-Lansford 327 (up 15)
- Nesson (Ray) 368 (up 20)
- New Town 1,005 (dn 10)
- New England 275 (up 14)
- Powers Lake 209 (up 5)
- South Heart 368 (up 15)
- Stanley 716 (up 3)
- Tioga 483 (up 32)
- Underwood 196 (up 1)
- Washburn 305 (up 8)
Click
here to see a complete list of 2019-20 enrollment figures for North Dakota school districts.
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Winter Storm to Pack a Wallop
Oilpatch May Dodge the Worst of It
After a light glaze of ice from freezing drizzle today, the National Weather Service predicts moderate to heavy snow will develop in the southern part of North Dakota tonight, overspreading the state on Saturday.
Heavy snow and blowing snow is expected tonight through Sunday morning. The weather service predicts total snow accumulations of 9 to 15 inches south of US Highway 2, with 4 to 7 inches along and north of US Highway 2.
Winds gusting as high as 45 mph and falling snow will lead to possible blizzard conditions late Friday night through Saturday night. The gusty winds could bring down tree branches causing power outages, and roads could become blocked. The snow will end from west to east late Saturday night into Sunday morning, with winds slowly tapering off as well.
The weather service advises motorists to expect severe impacts to travel. Before driving, motorists should let someone know their destination, planned route and expected time of arrival.
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Mohall Airport Receives $2.4 Million Grant
The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded the Mohall Municipal Airport a $2.4 million grant through the Supplemental Airport Improvement Program (AIP).
The funding will be used to extend and widen Mohall's runway to accommodate larger aircraft, which has been identified as a need due to growth in the region. The current runway is 3,121 feet long and 60 feet wide. The Mohall airport has grown from just four based aircraft in 2012 to 40 aircraft today.
Senator John Hoeven, who announced the grant, helped establish the AIP program in the 2018 fiscal year. He said the program gives priority consideration for funding to projects at smaller, non-hub airports, like those in North Dakota.
“This funding supports a critical infrastructure project in Mohall, allowing the airport to grow to support the needs of the community, while ensuring safe and reliable air service in the region,” said Hoeven.
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Washburn Gets Grant for Water Intake Improvement
Senator Hoeven announced separately that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded a $1,026,025 grant to fund an intake improvement project for the City of Washburn.
The project includes replacing the current raw water intake and pump house, which is unable to provide water to the city water treatment plant and its customers during low flow events.
“Today’s funding will help replace the old water system, helping mitigate health risks and ensure clean water is available to the community regardless of water levels,” Hoeven said.
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Three Western ND Newspapers Shutting Down
Three western North Dakota newspapers with thousands of subscribers published their final edition today.
The Dunn County Herald, the Adams County Register in Hettinger and The Herald in New England printed front page stories announcing that the newspapers were closing.
The newspapers are owned by Country Media Inc. based in Salem, Oregon. According to the ND Newspaper Association, the Adams County Record has 1,362 subscribers, the Dunn County Herald has 1,524 and The Herald has 1,208. Each of the papers is the official newspaper of record for the county, so the Adams, Dunn and Hettinger County Commissions will have to designate a new paper of record from those published in neighboring counties.
Country Media Inc. also owns the Bowman County Extra.
Click
here to read more from Jack Dura in the Bismarck Tribune.
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Williston Basin Petroleum Conference
Coming to Bismarck May 19-21, 2020
The Williston Basin Petroleum Conference is coming to Bismarck in May 2020. The popular conference brings together energy industry personnel from all over the world.
A
conference website has now been established including links to learn about exhibiting opportunities as well as limited and exclusive sponsorship.
Conference organizers are once again expecting a sold-out event so they encourage attendees to book lodging arrangements soon. The conference has arranged courtesy rates at hotels through the Bismarck-Mandan metro area. Click
here to view hotels in the area along with the rates.
Booth registrations and conference sponsorships will open on Monday, December 16.
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Roads Roundtable Set for December 18
Counties & Industry to Discuss Road Policies
The Western Dakota Energy Association and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute/NDLTAP will co-host a western roads roundtable December 18 to bring county road managers and oilfield trucking interests together to discuss common issues and concerns.
The gathering will be held at the new McKenzie County Public Works Facility, 1300 12th St SE, in Watford City.
A similar event held last year attracted more than 70 individuals representing counties, townships, oil producers and oilfield trucking companies. The key portion of the meeting will be a roundtable discussion of local road restriction policies facilitated by NDLTAP Program Director Dale Heglund.
The
draft agenda includes legislative and regional community updates, an update on WDEA's Wise Roads project, and updates from MHA Nation and federal highway officials.
There will be NO fee to attend the event, but registration will be required. Click
here for additional details of the meeting. Click
here to register.
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Annual Meeting Presentations On Line
Links to slide presentations shared during the WDEA 2019 Annual Meeting have been uploaded to the WDEA web site. Presentations are available at this
link.
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Auditors Launch “I Voted” Sticker Contest
North Dakota 4th Graders Asked to Submit Ideas
-- DECEMBER 20 SUBMISSION DEADLINE --
The North Dakota County Auditors Association has launched a contest for fourth grade students to design a new “I Voted” sticker for use in the 2020 Election and into the future.
The project is intended to raise awareness of the importance of elections and the role counties play in elections. In addition, it provides a new updated sticker for voters to receive on Election Day.
North Dakota County Auditors will be reaching out to schools across the state in an effort to engage 4th grade classrooms and encourage student participation. The student can create a color design using the form distributed to schools or found directly
here. The design must include the words: “I Voted” and the design must fit in the oval on the form.
Entries can be provided to the county auditor or emailed directly to
contest@ndaco.org by December 20. County Auditors will select one submission from their county to forward onto the statewide competition. The winning design will be announced in April 2020 during County Government month. The “I Voted Sticker” will be used starting in the June 2020 election.
Soliciting the help of fourth graders is a perfect fit for the project. Fourth graders across the state have a North Dakota Studies unit, which includes the right and responsibility of citizens over the age of 18 to vote in elections. The contest provides an opportunity for county auditors and teachers to work together to get kids interested in voting and educated on the election process.
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Quick Connect
- Oil producers have problems processing hydrogen sulfide -- KFYR-TV
- Dunn County produced water spill far exceeds initial report -- Dickinson Press
- ND Supreme Court affirms dismissal of oil company's emissions lawsuit -- Bismarck Tribune
- Williams, Mountrail wind farm will use the newest, largest turbines in the nation - Williston Herald
- Two tribal colleges receive USDA grants, $144,949 to campus in New Town -- Minot Daily News
- Hunters blamed for damage to roads on federal lands in western North Dakota -- Fargo Forum
- Why not Minot? Minot State University voted best college in North Dakota -- KX News
- TGU School District to receive over $1 million grant for Head Start projects -- Minot Daily News
- Tioga teachers receive safety training from ND Safety Council, Hess Corp. -- Williston Herald
- Williston School District No. 1 is on the hunt for its first-ever district nurse -- KX News
- Vision West promotes community/economic growth in western North Dakota -- Beulah Beacon
- Access to capital, US-China relations are key factors affecting 2020 oil markets -- Oil Price
- Why apocalyptic "climate change" claims are wrong, world will not end in 12 years -- Forbes
- Trump withdraws from Paris Accord, China continues to increase its emissions -- IER
- US energy industry giving America something for which to be thankful -- Energy in Depth
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Factoid of the Week
Gasoline prices would be $13.00 per gallon under the Green New Deal. The proposal,
introduced by Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, would require a $10 tax on a gallon of gas in order to make electric cars more desirable to consumers. The study found that the proposal would require carbon taxes of $200 to $1,000 per ton to spur replacement of current fossil fuel technologies, effectively crippling the US economy.
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December 3
Bismarck
December 3
Bismarck
December 3 - 4
Fargo
December 10
Bismarck
December 10
Bismarck
December 12
Bismarck
December 17
Bismarck
December 18
Watford City
December 18
Bismarck
January 15
Minot
January 29 - 31
Fargo
February 24 - 27
Bismarck
May 19 - 21
Bismarck
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Oil prices and rig count
November 29, 2019
WTI Crude: $55.42
Brent Crude: $62.43
Natural Gas: $2.28
North Dakota Active Rigs: 57 (unchg)
11/29/2018
-- 66 rigs
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Geoff Simon
Editor/Executive Director
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