E-News 2012
April 2012 E-News
Posted 6/25/12 (Mon)
New members – Thank you to new Petroleum Council members Aquatech • Ross & Associates, Ltd. • Irish Oil & Gas, Inc. • Sadler Law Firm, LLP • Veit Companies • Subsurface Supply, Inc. • Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. • Odney
ND oil activity – Preliminary production numbers for February 2012 are 558,254 BOPD from 6,726 wells (both all-time highs) and 552,190 MCFD (all-time high) of natural gas. There are currently 204 rigs active in the state.
2012 WBPC – The countdown to the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference is continuing! There are 2,200 attendees registered from 3 different countries, 40 states, and 6 Canadian provinces; be sure to be one of them!
The deadline for early-bird registration has been extended three days to Wednesday, April 18. Register now!
Registration: $500 (until April 18)
$600 (Apr. 19 – May 21)
$700 (after May 22)
Indoor & Outdoor Booths: SOLD OUT
Lodging: If your company has large room blocks reserved, we would appreciate it if you released any extra rooms you don’t intend to use. If you are going to use your room block but have not registered all the participants from your company, please do so as soon as possible as it will help us prepare for this great event in a timely fashion. We anticipate hotel rooms opening up as blocks are released. For the most up-to-date room availability, please contact Lori Yantzer, Bismarck Convention and Visitors Bureau, at 701-222-4308.
ND Oil PAC – We are seeking contributions to the Oil PAC and hosts for the Oil PAC event on May 23 from 7-10 p.m. at the Ramkota Hotel during the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference. For more information on contributing or becoming a host, click here. Please pass this along to your co-workers and friends who are benefitting from the oil industry in North Dakota. We need a strong PAC to support business friendly candidates.
Bakken Permitting & Compliance Seminar – The North Dakota Motor Carriers Association will be hosting a series of permitting and compliance seminars focused on oversize and weight permitting and compliance training. The seminars are free for NDMC members and $99 for non-members and will be held on the dates below:
April 17 April 18 April 19
Minot Dickinson Williston
Holiday Inn Riverside Grand Dakota Lodge Airport International Inn
1PM-5PM 8AM-12PM 8AM-12PM
For more information, click here. Register by calling 701-223-2700 or online at ww.ndmca.org.
2011 Economic Impact Study –Economic Impact Study surveys have been mailed to oil operators. This survey provides very valuable information for our industry, and we need your support. Service companies and pipelines will be surveyed soon. All information is confidential and will be reported in aggregate only. Thank you in advance for your timely participation. 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.
DMR Rule Changes – The new DMR rules went into effect on April 1. This week the DMR published a summary document for non-regulators. View it here.
Al Golden Memorial Scholarship Fund – The Petroleum Council scholarship program has been renamed the Al Golden Memorial Scholarship. Many of Al’s friends and colleagues have stopped by the office and made donations to the fund; thank you! The program provides three $1,000 scholarships each school year to students attending a North Dakota college or university 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.
2012 Facts & Figures – The 2012 edition of Facts & Figures is now available. This one-page flyer contains production, development, employment, tax and other North Dakota oil and gas industry statistics. It will be updated periodically throughout the year. If you’d like hard copies, please email Alexis at abrinkman@ndoil.org. A digital version is available here.
Regulatory Committee meets with Minot Air Force Base – On March 7, the regulatory committee met with the U.S. Air Force per their request to create open lines of communication on the issue of encroachment. As a result of the work by the committee the Air Force has been complimentary of industry.
The AFB maintains easements for all property within 1,200 feet of each missile site, centered from the middle of the launch facility, and encroachment management is a team effort between the Air Force and the oil companies. Open dialogue between the AFB and oil companies have allowed the AFB to efficiently coordinate transportation of their assets without any conflicts. There have been no issues with exploration activities. As “secondary” effects of oil exploration begin (pipelines, power lines, and industry support), the potential exists that encroachment could occur from sources other than oil exploration. Several potential conflicts have been averted because the system worked and we were made aware of potential construction before it occurred. The AFB is dedicated to proactively engaging the oil companies in avoiding and reconciling any potential conflict, and Kari Cutting, vice-president of the NDPC, will be visiting the AFB to discuss the future activity of oil companies in the state, specifically within the confines of the Minot AFB missile field.
WSI 2012 Proposed Rate indications – Workforce, Safety & Insurance (WSI) has released its 2012 Proposed Rate indications, which are overall good news for the petroleum industry. Five of the six petroleum classes (1320, Oil & Gas Operations; 6203, Oil and Gas Development – Drilling; 6205, Oil Well Trucking; 6206, Oil Well Servicing; and 6208, Oil & Gas Instrument Logging) recognized a rate decrease with class 6204 (Oil & Gas Well Sply. Or Equip. Dlrs.) recognizing an increase. Combined with the increase in the statutory wage cap ($25,500 to $27,900) two of the six classes (6205 and 6206) will actually recognize a per person decrease in the net premium charge. On Monday, April 16 the public comment period will end. The Board will make a premium rate recommendation to the Governor at next Wednesday's meeting following the presentation by WSI's consulting actuaries. Approved rates take effect July 1, 2012. For more information, email Barry Schumacher.
|
Community Focus Oil Can! Pick Up the Patch! The North Dakota Petroleum Council will be holding a press conference at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, at the Marathon office in Dickinson. This press conference will kick off a series of trash clean-up events and long-term trash programs being planned and implemented all across the Williston Basin as part of NDPC’s Oil Can! Pick Up the Patch! program. This will be a great chance to let the media and public know what our industry is doing to work with local communities in addressing the trash problem. Events and other efforts are being planned by many companies, including Whiting, Marathon Oil, Enerplus, QEP, Oasis Petroleum, SM Energy, Statoil, Baranko Brothers, Badlands PowerFuels, and Links Logistics. If your organization has trash clean-up even planned or is implementing a trash management program and would like to have it included in the information distributed at the press conference, please contact Alexis at abrinkman@ndoil.org or 701-223-6380. *If your company would like to showcase in this space examples of ways the organization or employees are engaged in local community issues, programs or activities, please send the info to abrinkman@ndoil.org.* |
Pipeline Publication – The March issue of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority’s “Pipeline Publication” is available here. This month’s edition features the High Prairie Pipeline, Sanish Pipeline/BEP Open Season, Plains Ross gas plant, and natural gas study. If you would like to be added to the email distribution list for this publication, please email Justin Kringstad.
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.
Mark your calendars!
May 22-24 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference – Bismarck, ND
June 11-14 Teacher Seminar – Bismarck, ND
July 24 Bakken Rocks CookFest – Ray, ND
July 26 Bakken Rocks CookFest – Belfield, ND
September 18-20 NDPC Annual Meeting – Medora, ND
Oil & Gas Hearing Schedule
April 25-26 September 26-27
May 30-31 October 24-25
June 27-28 November 28-29
July 25-26 December 19-20
August 22-23 January 16-17
For more information on any of these issues or to be removed from the mailing list, contact the North Dakota Petroleum Council at (701) 223-6380, ndpc@ndoil.org, or see www.ndoil.org.
