Colorful fireworks lit up the sky over the Capitol this week, thrilling thousands
of onlookers gathered to watch on the grounds below. (photo by Kim Eslinger)
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Oil Volume to Surge with New Infrastructure
Helms: Gas Capture Catches Up by End of the Year
North Dakota crude oil production remained steady in the month of April, and the state's top oil regulator says that will likely continue until additional natural gas processing infrastructure comes on line later this year.
Lynn Helms, director of the Department of Mineral Resources, said even though oil numbers are steady, natural gas production continues to grow, challenging producers to build facilities to capture and process all the gas. Helms said a lot of construction is happening this summer and fall, which he expects will allow the state's producers to get back into compliance with the North Dakota's 88% gas capture target.
Click
here to listen to Helms' comments.
Helms said once the natural gas processing infrastructure is in place, he expects the state will see a surge in oil production, pushing it close to the country of Norway, which produces more than 1.6 million barrels per day.
Click
here to listen to Helms' comments.
If North Dakota was a country, it would currently rank 17th in the world in production.
Helms was interview on the radio program, Energy Matters. Click
here and advance to the 01:35 mark to listen to the full interview with Helms.
Energy Matters is broadcast every Tuesday from 3:00-5:00 pm CST on AM 550 KFYR & AM 1460 KLTC, and re-broadcast Saturday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on AM 1090 KTGO, and Saturday from Noon to 2:00 pm on AM 1100 WZFG.
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Williston School Copes with Overcrowding
District Looks to Make Efficient Use of Current Space
Two attempts to pass bond issues to expand classroom space in Williston School District #1 failed earlier this year, so the district is trying to figure out ways to use existing space more efficiently.
The district has a building fund, the current balance of which is about $11.4 million. Some of the money will be used to help pay for a $3.1 million expansion and renovation of the commons area at Williston High School. Several other possibilities are now under consideration.
One of those ideas would renovate the Hagan pool building, which the district is now using for storage. It's located near Bakken Elementary and the Williston Middle School. The district is talking about gutting the building and turning it into an "innovation academy" where students could learn at their own pace. The district has also provided each student with an inexpensive laptop computer, freeing up classroom space because the district no longer needs computer labs.
The school board is also considering a community fundraiser to come up with additional money.
Click
here to read more in the Williston Herald.
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Rare Earth Minerals in Tight Supply
More Are Needed for Renewables to Grow
Backers of wind and solar energy will soon find themselves struggling to come up with materials to grow the renewable industry unless additional sources of rare earth minerals are developed.
That's the conclusion of several studies looking into the growth potential of wind, solar and electric vehicles, all of which are made using hard-to-find minerals like dysprosium, neodymium, manganese, cobalt and lithium. The problem, as shown in the chart accompanying this article, is that China currently produces nearly 90% of the world's supply of rare earth minerals. There are sources of rare earth metals in the United States that could be extracted and processed profitably, but they aren't because of restrictive and redundant environmental regulations.
Lithium prices set a record high in 2018 at $14,656 per metric ton, 21 percent higher than in 2017. Cobalt prices totaled $72,923 per metric ton in 2018, 30 percent higher than in 2017.
Rare earth minerals can be found in North Dakota lignite formations, primarily in the Little Missouri River Badlands from McKenzie County to Bowman County. The 2019 Legislature approved a $160,000 appropriation to support additional research into the search for rare earth elements in the state.
The ND Geological Survey published a report in January, describing previous efforts to identify sources of rare earth minerals in the state. Click
here to view a summary of the report. Click
here to read a study entitled, "Rare Earth Element Concentrations in the Harmon, Hanson, and H Lignites in Slope County."
Click
here to read an article by the Institute for Energy Research about the soaring need for rare earth minerals by the renewable industry.
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1804 Project Would Add Passing Lanes
Proposed improvements to Highway 1804 in Williams County would include the addition of five passing lanes in a 12-mile stretch of the highway from County Road 42 (Epping Road) to just east of Lund's Landing.
The highway has experienced significant growth in oilfield traffic in recent years. It serves as a connecting road between Williston and the New Town area, and also provides access to recreation areas on the north shore of Lake Sakakawea. An August 2017 NDDOT study showed that between 2008 and 2011 oil and gas development resulted in average daily traffic volumes increasing from 785 to 3,200, or about 400%. The report found that in 2016 and 2017 average daily traffic still remained three times higher than before the oil boom. Nearly half of the current traffic is classified as truck traffic.
In addition to adding three eastbound and two westbound passing lanes, other proposed improvements would flatten or bank curves in the road to comfortably accommodate vehicles traveling at 65 mph. The work would also increase the highway's structural capacity, widen the shoulders, add turn lanes, and install lighting at the intersection of County Road 15 (the turn off to Lewis and Clark State Park).
Depending on availability of funding, the project could be completed in 2020. Click
here to view or download the 554-page environmental assessment.
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Beulah Shopko to Get New Occupant
Ace Hardware to Move into Vacated Building
The announcement earlier this year that the Shopko store in Beulah would close shocked a lot of people, but there was good news this week that it won't be empty for long.
A purchase agreement for the ShopKo building was signed this week, according to Beulah Economic Development Director Granville "Beaver" Brinkman. He said local Ace Hardware store owners Jerry and Monica Isaak will move their store to the new space, more than tripling the Ace store from its current 13,000 square foot space to occupy the 41,000 square feet in the Shopko building. Brinkman said it's a positive development for the city.
"The expansion of an existing business helps bolster the local attitudes and the local economy," he said.
Brinkman said the Isaaks and the Ace corporation have been doing surveys in the community and creating the layout for the store. He said the current Ace location was not able to carry all of the Ace lines due to the lack of floor space.
"The new store will allow all of the product lines that Ace carries to be displayed and sold, plus some additional lines and services that I have been working with Jerry on," he said. "There will be a focus on hunting, fishing, camping and recreational products which will not only benefit the local economy, but will benefit the city's tourism and lake community."
Brinkman said the Isaaks expect to close on the property in September, and a grand opening for Ace in the new location is tentatively scheduled the first week of November.
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Bakken Classic Fishing Derby Set for July 17
There are still some open spots in the 7th Annual Bakken Classic Fishing Derby scheduled for Wed., July 17 in New Town. Due to changes in how the North Dakota Game and Fish Department permits charity tournaments, there are new rules and a new process for registering for the event.
In order to maintain the event as a charity tournament, the Bakken Classic is open only to Partners of the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation’s Bakken Classic Club. A partnership is $300 a year and all funds will help the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation fund critical wildlife habitat projects and tree planting throughout the state. The entry fee for the Bakken Classic Fishing Derby is $60 for a three-person team.
As a Bakken Classic Club partner, you or your company will be eligible to register one three-person team for the fishing derby.
To sign up for the Bakken Classic Club,
click here.
To enter the Bakken Classic Fishing Derby,
click here.
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WDEA Offering Energy Scholarships
The Western Dakota Energy Association will award five $1,000 scholarships this fall to students in an energy-related field at a North Dakota college, university or technical school.
WDEA President Gary Wilz said the association is offering the scholarships to help the industry and western communities meet the workforce challenges now being experienced with the surge in oil industry activity.
“We recognize that North Dakota will see benefits from higher oil prices only if the industry is able to attract the workforce it needs,” said Wilz, who is Superintendent of the Killdeer Public School District. “We want to do everything we can to encourage young people to explore the many opportunities for a rewarding career in the energy industry.”
Funding for the scholarship program is generated by sponsorships of WDEA’s annual meeting, as well as royalties from advertising in Basin Bits magazine.
Click
here to learn more about the selection criteria and how to apply.
Click
here to view or download an application form.
The application deadline is August 31, 2019. Scholarships will be awarded in September.
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Quick Connect
- Lightning strike causes Bottineau County crude oil spill -- KX News
- State might not automatically hold public hearing on DAPL pumping station -- Bismarck Tribune
- Williston Airport to receive 3,000 tons of cement weekly to complete runway -- Williston Herald
- Three Affiliated Tribes convert Figure Four Ranch ranch to trust status -- Bismarck Tribune
- Construction projects to impact traffic, single lane closures begin Monday -- Minot Daily News
- Pre-construction work continues for TransCanada pipeline in South Dakota -- Bismarck Tribune
- MDU Resources Foundation invests in Magic City Discovery Center -- Minot Daily News
- Dickinson to restart compliance checks to combat underage drinking -- Dickinson Press
- Bismarck State College President Larry Skogen to retire next year -- Bismarck Tribune
- College president succession high on new higher ed board leader’s list -- Associated Press
- Lake Sakakawea water to begin slow decline after hitting 1851.9 elevation -- Dickinson Press
- Forecasting remains conservative but hopeful as new budget cycle begins -- Bismarck Tribune
- North Dakota Department of Insurance launches LiveChat customer service app -- KFYR-TV
- Research finds wheat bran could be used to treat water, clean oil spills -- Grand Forks Herald
- First case of West Nile virus reported in McHenry County resident -- Minot Daily News
- Record natural gas production making America more energy secure -- Energy In Depth
- "Absolutely absurd" report claims LNG will make climate change worse -- EID Climate
- Dunn County shows off new home to hundreds, hosts picnic for visitors -- Dunn County Herald
- Chamber of Commerce's Rockin' Ribfest returns to Williston this weekend -- Williston Herald
- Soda Shoppe at Tioga Drug receives warm welcome upon opening -- Tioga Tribune
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Factoid of the Week
Rare earth metals and alloys that contain them are used in many devices that people use every day such as computer memory, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, catalytic converters, DVDs, magnets, fluorescent lighting, solar panels, surgical lasers and much more.
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July 6
Williston
July 8
Stark DES EOC, Dickinson 1:00 pm
July 11 -12
Eagle Ridge Golf Course and The Links of ND
July 16-17
Bismarck
July 16
Bowman
July 17
Bismarck
July 17
New Town
July 18
Van Hook
July 22
Bismarck
July 30
Bismarck
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Oil prices and rig count
July 5, 2019
WTI Crude: $57.51
Brent Crude: $64.44
Natural Gas: $2.42
North Dakota Active Rigs: 58 (down 3)
7/5/2018
-- 64 rigs
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Geoff Simon
Editor/Executive Director
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