Faces of the Boom: Dickinson native proud of oil field business

NEW TOWN — Erin Wanner grew up in a family that owned an oil service company, but she never thought about the industry as a career option for herself.

• Wanner
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Kenmare native reinvents himself for current oil boom

Having grown up near Kenmare, Wayne Lagorin has always been a North Dakotan by heart.

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ND oil boom to continue for a few more decades

MEDORA, N.D. — Another report is out dissecting the possible long-term projections and implications of the Bakken energy play to western North Dakota and the findings are more of the same.

Crowns stand out in the crowd

Miss North Dakota pageant organizers make adjustments to deal with oil boom
WILLISTON, N.D. – As the young women wearing crowns filed into Wildcat Pizza here, every head turned. A table full of women - let alone pageant contestants - is a rare sight in this male-dominated oil boom town, enough to prompt guys to get out their camera phones. “It just made lunch so much better,” said Nathan Tuckfield, a construction consultant from Sidney, Mont.

• 2013 State Finalists:
• Oil field worker David Hiney poses for a photo with contestants

Water restrictions issued for Williston, N.D., area

WILLISTON, N.D. – Officials here declared a water emergency today and asked residents of Williams and McKenzie counties to limit water use to essential needs only. The Williston Regional Water Treatment Plant is operating at a reduced capacity due to the spring rise in the Yellowstone River and heavy rainfall that has increased sediment levels in the Missouri River to historic levels, Mayor Ward Koeser said. The area’s population growth and industrial demand for water also stress the plant, officials said.

• Williston, N.D., mayor speaks at a press conference

Oilfield accident victim identified as Louisiana man

POWERS LAKE, N.D. - The man who died over the weekend in an accident at a drilling rig site was identified today as Coby Thibodeaux, 35, Eunice, La., the Burke County Sheriff’s Office said.

Williams County cracks down on crew camps where homicides occurred

WILLISTON, N.D. – Oilfield crew camps where two homicides and a stabbing have occurred need to beef up security or be forced to shut down, according to Williams County officials. The Williams County Planning and Zoning Commission is now requiring the Capital Lodge and Wanzek camps, both near Tioga, to provide proof of their security procedures, undergo inspections and re-apply for permits to operate in six months. The Wanzek camp was the site of a fatal shooting on Aug. 4. Capital Lodge had a fatal stabbing on March 17 and a stabbing that left one man injured on Sunday.

• The Capital Lodge
• The Wanzek crew camp

Three North Dakotans among latest Bush Fellows

GRAND FORKS – International refugees resettled in Fargo, American Indians living in Bismarck and North Dakotans wrestling with effects of an oil boom and looking to boom-experienced Norway for sage advice – all are subjects to be tackled by some of the latest recipients of Bush Fellowships, given to people working to solve community problems.

• Kevin Brooks

Williams County cracks down on crew camps where homicides occurred

WILLISTON, N.D. – Oilfield crew camps where two homicides and a stabbing have occurred need to beef up security or be forced to shut down, according to Williams County officials. The Williams County Planning and Zoning Commission is now requiring the Capital Lodge and Wanzek camps, both near Tioga, to provide proof of their security procedures, undergo inspections and re-apply for permits to operate in six months.

House passes Cramer-sponsored bill to speed Keystone pipeline

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would approve the Keystone XL pipeline without the president’s signature.

N.D. workers return home after Oklahoma tornado

WILLISTON, N.D. -- Pilot Liz Lillard was in Williston on Monday as she watched a live feed of a massive tornado pass over her children’s day care in Moore, Okla. “It’s the worst feeling in the world to watch a tornado go over your two kids and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Lillard said. Lillard, a contract pilot for Hiland Partners of Enid, Okla., flies workers to and from North Dakota, which is where she was when disaster struck Monday.

Three Affiliated Tribe breaks ground on refinery

MAKOTI, N.D. – As the Three Affiliated Tribes blessed the ground Wednesday where a refinery will be built, one tribal council member called it a new day for the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara. “It’s really an important time for our people. It’s exciting,” said tribal representative Ken Hall. “But we have to be mindful going forward to not lose our culture.”

• Three Affiliated Tribes Chairman Tex Hall shakes hands
• Elder Tony Mandan blesses the land
• Chairman Tex Hall speaks at the groundbreaking

N.D. sees more out-of-state road crews

Oil Patch will have record road construction season
RAY, N.D. – Some say roads in the Oil Patch have potholes so big they could swallow your car. This could be true on U.S. Highway 2 in Ray, but a crew working to replace underground utilities fills the same potholes practically every day. At Ray, consolidating the heavy truck traffic on U.S. Highway 2 from four lanes to two creates craters as big as 5 feet in diameter, sometimes forcing drivers to swerve into the oncoming lane of traffic to avoid them. The speed is reduced to 15 mph, but most motorists exceed that, said Dan Rogers, superintendent for Lakeshore Toltest Corp.

• Miguel Rodriquez works on a road crew
• Equipment operator Bill Schroeder
• Miguel Rodriquez fills in a pothole

UPDATED: USGS doubles estimate for oil from Williston Basin

WILLISTON, N.D. -- The U.S. Geological Survey said Tuesday the Williston Basin has between 4.4 billion and 11.4 billion barrels of oil that is recoverable with today’s technology. Although the figure is more than double what the survey said in 2008, geologists and industry leaders said Tuesday the estimate is conservative and will only get bigger as technology advances. The survey is the first by the USGS to include the Three Forks Formation as well as the Bakken Formation.

USGS doubles estimate for oil from Williston Basin

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Geological Survey said today there is nearly twice as much recoverable oil in the Williston Basin than its estimate of five years ago. The USGS has determined that there are approximately 7.4 billion barrels of oil that could be pumped from western North Dakota and eastern Montana.