E-News 2012

February 2012 E-News

Posted 2/28/12 (Tue)

New members – Thank you to new Petroleum Council members Advanced Engineering & Environmental Services, Blue Buttes Energy, Datalog LWT, Express Energy Services Operating, Foley & Mansfield, PLLP, J & J Operating, LLC, Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, Nakota Development Co., O’Brannan Energy Corp., Powermation, Structure Solutions, Triangle USA Petroleum Corp., True North Development, Western Dakota Home Development

ND oil activity – Preliminary production numbers for December 2011 are 534,884 BOPD from 6,471 wells (both all-time highs) and 544,224 MCFD (all-time high) of natural gas. There are currently 199 rigs active in the state. Year-end numbers for 2011 are 152.9 million barrels of oil and 155.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas (both all-time highs).

2011 Production Numbers

2012 WBPC – The 2012 WBPC will be held May 22-24 in Bismarck, ND. Booths and major sponsorships sold out within 17 minutes of opening registration on February 1. We are still seeking sponsorships at the platinum, silver and bronze levels. Attendee and sponsor registration are open online at www.wbpcnd.org.

Registration: $500 (Feb 1 – Apr. 15)
                         $600 (Apr. 16 – May 15)
                         $750 (after May 16)

Booths: SOLD OUT
 
Sponsorships: All sponsors will be included in all marketing materials, including on-site signage and the conference booklet and website. See website for details on the sponsor packages.
                        • Bakken Gold – US$15,000 (only 25 sponsorship spots available) SOLD OUT
                        • Diamond – US$10,000 (only 25 sponsorship spots available) SOLD OUT
                        • Platinum – US$5,000
                        • Silver – US$2,500
                        • Bronze – US$1,000

Lodging: A list of hotels with rooms still available is online. When reserving rooms, please reference the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference block. Please make your hotel reservations and rental car reservations as soon as possible. 

Dorms on local campuses are also available. We are working with the Bismarck-Mandan CVB to arrange a shuttle service from the campuses.

University of Mary – The University of Mary has 50 college suites available. Each suite has two rooms with two beds in each room and one bathroom to accommodate the suite. The cost is $160.00 per suite (flat rate). Participants are responsible for finding roommates, if they so choose. Rooms can be booked with a credit card only. The University of Mary is a smoke free campus located approximately 7 miles from the Bismarck Civic Center on Highway 1804. For reservations or questions, contact Toni Reinbold at areinbold@umary.edu or via phone at 1-800-408-6279 ext. 8348.

Bismarck State College – Bismarck State College has 35 rooms available in a suite-style setting. Each suite has two rooms and a shared bathroom space. The cost is $100.00 per room per night.  Rooms can be booked with a credit card only. Bismarck State College is a tobacco and alcohol free campus conveniently located off of I-94 via Exit 157. For reservations or questions, email BSC.Housing@bismarckstate.edu.

Other local housing options may also be available. For a list of homes willing to host conference attendees, please e-mail Brittany at ndpc@ndoil.org.

Agenda: We have an outstanding agenda set for the conference featuring keynote speakers Jack Gerard, American Petroleum Institute President and CEO, and Greg Hill, Hess Executive Vice President and Worldwide Exploration & Production President. Other industry leaders include: Harold Hamm, Continental; David Hobbs, IHS CERA; David Roberts, Marathon; and Jim Volker, Whiting.

Due to the overwhelming demand for the Bakken/Three Forks/Tyler Core Workshops, a third workshop will be held on Thursday, May 24, from 2-5:30 pm in the Oak, Elm & Linden Rooms.  Registration for the third workshop is now available online.

 Oil, gas and pipeline companies join forces to respond to open water spills – A group of oil, gas and pipeline companies working near the upper Missouri River and Lake Sakakawea regions has formed the Sakakawea Area Spill Response LLC (SASR). The purpose of SASR is to provide resources to assist members in responding quickly and comprehensively to an open water spill as a way to minimize impacts and protect residents and the environment.

Members of SASR have agreed to share and deploy existing emergency-response and spill-containment equipment and other resources in the event of a spill. SASR also plans to buy and maintain additional equipment that would be available to member companies during an incident response. “We hope to never use the equipment except for training purposes,” said Bob Dundas, Bridger Pipeline environmental coordinator and chairman of the SASR committee. While companies that operate in the Williston Basin have their own spill response plans and capabilities, SASR aims to increase preparedness and, in the event of a spill, coordinate and expand those capabilities. It is not meant to replace a company’s long-term spill response resources.

SASR is a volunteer effort. The committee is currently looking for locations to park the equipment, a third-party contractor to maintain and deploy the equipment, and more members. To date, seven companies are members of SASR: Bridger Pipeline, Enbridge Pipelines (ND), Hess, Marathon Oil Co., Slawson Exploration, Whiting Petroleum and WPX Energy Williston, LLC. If your organization is interested in becoming part of SASR, please contact Jason Tuhy or Luke Franklin at the contact information below.
                                      Jason Tuhy                              Luke Franklin
                                      701.456.5415 (Office)            701.456.7520 (Office)
                                       Jason.Tuhy@whiting.com    LCFranklin@MarathonOil.com

 
Governor names Neset co-chair and launches 2020 & Beyond Initiative – On January 30, Gov. Dalrymple and the ND Chamber of Commerce launched 2020 & Beyond, a new initiative designed to build on established goals and strategies as outlined in the North Dakota Economic Development 2010-2020 Strategic Plan. The initiative will advance the state’s emphasis on job creation and building a positive business climate, while focusing on enhancing North Dakota’s quality of life and the livability of its communities.

Eight business leaders from around the state will combine with six state legislators to lead the creation of a 20-year development plan. The steering committee will be co-chaired by Kathy Neset of Neset Consulting Service and NDPC board member and Bill Marcil Jr. of Forum Communications. The committee will present a report to Dalrymple and the North Dakota Legislature in the fall with its recommendations for furthering North Dakota's prosperity. Dalrymple said the report is expected to result in several legislative initiatives. For more information on 2020 & Beyond, visit www.ND2020andBeyond.com.

Petroleum Council Scholarships Available – The Petroleum Council will provide three $1,000 scholarships to students attending a North Dakota college who are pursuing a degree in petroleum engineering, geology or a related field, or who have work/internship experience in the oil and gas industry. Scholarship applications must be postmarked to the Petroleum Council by April 1, 2012. Scholarship information is available on the Petroleum Council website.

Kovacevich appointed to Oil & Gas Research Council – Terry Kovacevich, asset manager for Marathon Oil Company’s Bakken Project in the Williston Basin and Petroleum Council vice chairman, has been appointed to the North Dakota Oil & Gas Research Council. The program, established by the Legislature in 2003, is a state/industry program designed to demonstrate to the general public the importance of the state oil and gas exploration and production industry, to encourage and promote the wise and efficient use of energy, to promote environmentally sound exploration and production methods and technologies, to develop the state's oil and gas resources, and to support research and educational activities concerning the oil and natural gas exploration and production industry. Kovacevich will take over as Petroleum Council board chairman in September 2012.

Research Council approves funding for CO2 Enhanced Bakken Recovery Research Program – The Oil & Gas Research Council recently approved $475,000 in funding for the Energy & Environmental Research Center’s CO2 Enhanced Bakken Recovery Research Program. The purpose of this program is to evaluate the use of CO2 to increase the ultimate recovery of Bakken oil. The objective is to use new and existing reservoir characterization and laboratory data integrated with reservoir modeling to determine the viability of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery in the Bakken formation. The study is anticipated to take 15 months.

NDPC Spring Social – The Petroleum Council will host a social at the Brown Palace on March 14 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. MDT in the Onyx Room. 

Reservations must be made by February 27 to receive the discounted room rate. Please reference the NDPC room block.

Brown Palace Hotel and Spa Reservations     Comfort Inn Downtown Denver Reservations
303-297-3111 or 800-321-2599                         303-296-0400 or 800-237-7431
$169 per night for Classic Queen Room          $129 per night for a Standard Queen Room
$189 for Signature King Room

Thank you to the following companies for sponsoring the Denver Social:

Badland Power Fuels            Enbridge Pipelines LLC                          Petro-Hunt, LLC 
Baytex Energy                          Fidelity Exploration & Production Co.    QEP Resources, Inc 
Border Resources, LLC        GeoResources, Inc.                                  Whiting Oil & Gas Corp.
ConocoPhillips                        Lario Oil & Gas                                          WPX Energy 
Continental Resources         Neset Consulting Services                      XTO Energy-ExxonMobil
Crowley & Fleck PLLP

We are still seeking sponsorships of $500. If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please contact Brittany at ndpc@ndoil.org or 701-223-6380.
2011 Economic Impact Study – The Petroleum Council is funding a 2011 Economic Impact Study. North Dakota State University is conducting the study, which was previous conducted in 2005, 2007 and 2009. The 2009 study revealed that the petroleum industry in North Dakota had a $12.7 billion economic impact. This is very valuable information for our industry and we need your support. A sampling of oil operators and service companies will be surveyed in early March. All information is confidential and will be reported in aggregate only. Thank you in advance for your timely participation.

Brinkman joins NDPC staff – Alexis Brinkman began working as our Public Relations Manager on February 7. Brinkman is a native of Golden Valley, ND, and a graduate of North Dakota State University in Fargo with a degree in public relations and advertising. Her previous experience includes working as a communications specialist with Clearwater Communications, Bismarck, and a government and public affairs intern with North American Coal, Bismarck. To reach her via e-mail, contact abrinkman@ndoil.org. Welcome, Alexis!

Rud joins NDPC staff – Brittany Rud began working as our Executive Assistant on February 15. Rud is a native of Center, ND, and a graduate of Bismarck State College with a degree in energy management and process plant technology. Her previous work experience includes working as a safety coordinator for Corner Express LLC, and as an operator with Dakota Gasification and Red Trail Energy LLC. To reach her via e-mail, contact ndpc@ndoil.org. Welcome, Brittany!

Daily ND oil and gas news updates – The Petroleum Council provides a news subscription service to our members. If you are interested in receiving daily news updates on important industry issues, please e-mail ndpc@ndoil.org.