E-News 2012
June 2012 E-News
Posted 6/25/12 (Mon)
New members – Thank you to new Petroleum Council members Caldwell Tanks, Inc. • RedWing Brands of Amercia • Hercules Global Logistics, LLC • Diverse Energy Systems • Bay Ridge Properties International, Inc. • Oil Capital USA • Consolidated Construction Company • City of Grand Forks • Chief Construction, LLC
ND oil activity – Preliminary production numbers for April 2012 are 609,371 BOPD from 7,025 wells (both all-time highs) and 650,733 MCFD (all-time high) of natural gas. There are currently 211 rigs active in the state.
CookFest – Mark your calendars! The North Dakota Petroleum Council will host its 4th Annual Bakken Rocks CookFest in Ray on July 24 and Belfield on July 26. Educational sessions at both locations will be held from 2:30-4:30 p.m. CDT, and food is served from 5-8 p.m. CDT.
Gas tax rate notice – In keeping with the provisions of North Dakota Century Code § 57-51-02.2 the Tax Commissioner has determined that the gas tax rate for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2012 is $.1143 per mcf. The gross production tax on gas produced during this time period must be calculated by taking the taxable production in mcf times the $.1143 tax rate.
The gas tax rate and how it is determined is published on the Office of State Tax Commissioner’s website located at www.nd.gov/tax. If you have any questions regarding this notification, please contact the Oil and Gas Tax Section at 701.328.3657 or by email at oiltax@nd.gov.
Trucks hauling water, sand in oilfield operations subject to HOS rules, DOT says – Truck drivers hauling water and sand to U.S. oil and natural gas shale wells cannot extend their daily driving hours by using an exemption targeted for special oilfield service equipment, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing the Department of Transportation.
Time spent waiting while water and sand are unloaded at well sites counts toward the maximum 14 hours a day drivers can work, DOT said in a rule clarification published in Tuesday's Federal Register.
Some drivers may be using an exemption for equipment such as pumps or gas separators that let operators subtract from the limit the time waiting for gear to be unloaded, Boyd Stephenson, American Trucking Associations' director of hazardous materials, told Bloomberg. Click here for the Federal Register notice (text version) or click here for a PDF version.
UND Department of Petroleum Engineering seeking lab equipment – The University of North Dakota’s Department of Petroleum Engineering is developing a world-class degree program. The program is enhanced by on-going research and productive collaborations with industry.
The program anticipates an enrollment of approximately 60 students this fall, up from just four two years ago. While this impressive growth is indicative of a great program, it has also left the Department with a severe shortage of lab equipment. The Department is also pursuing ABET, Inc. accreditation and has requested assistance with building laboratory resources that will provide new graduates access to a wide array of instrumentation and exposure to the newest software and technologies.
This program is an important part of building a skilled workforce for our industry, and we hope you will consider their request. As a state agency, the department can only purchase new equipment, but can accept used but workable equipment if it is donated. For a full list of the equipment needed, click here. If you have any questions, please contact Loren Kopseng, Petroleum Engineering Program Advisory Committee member, at 701-220-0331.
NDPC Annual Meeting – The 31th Annual Meeting of the North Dakota Petroleum Council will be held September 18-20 in Medora, ND. An agenda is below:
September 18:
- ND Oil Pac Golf Tournament
- BBQ and Social
September 19:
- Board Meeting
- Annual Meeting opens
- Social
- Chairman’s Banquet
September 20:
- Annual Meeting continues
- Lunch
- Adjourn in afternoon
This year’s Annual Meeting festivities will begin Tuesday, September 18 with the ND Oil Pac Golf Tournament at Bully Pulpit starting at 11:30 am MDT. Meeting registration and a welcoming social will be held on at the Chuckwagon beginning at 5:30 p.m. MDT with an Old West barbeque, drinks and entertainment to enjoy as you socialize.
The Annual Meeting will officially begin at 1 pm MDT, September 19 at the Medora Community Center with a NDPC year in review, followed by a great lineup of speakers. The Chairman’s Banquet will begin at 6:45 p.m. MDT at the Medora Community Center. The meeting will continue with breakfast the next morning and conclude in the early afternoon.
Registration for the 2012 Annual Meeting will be available online at www.ndoil.org and NDPC will start accepting sponsorships on July 10 at 9 am CDT. Hotels in Medora will accept reservations for this event starting that day, July 10.
More details to follow in the coming weeks.
WBPC a success – The 20th Annual Williston Basin Petroleum Conference wrapped up Thursday, May 24 with a record-breaking attendance of 4,051 people, breaking the record set in 2010 by nearly 1,300 people. The Conference included attendees from 47 states (Maine, Hawaii and Delaware being the only states not represented), seven Canadian provinces, nine countries, including the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Nigeria, Norway, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Kingdom; three hundred exhibitors, including 282 indoor exhibits and 45 outdoor exhibits; and representation by more than 2,102 businesses, including 145 sponsors.
Of the 47 states and seven provinces represented, North Dakota had the largest showing with more than 1,717 attending, followed by Colorado with 401, Texas with 341, Minnesota with 272, and Alberta with 206.
Registrants traveled from more than 730 cities across the state, nation and the world to participate. This included participants from 93 North Dakota communities.
With 4,051 attendees, this international conference ranks as the largest event held in Bismarck-Mandan. The conference continues to serve as a catalyst for networking and innovation in the energy industry and will help continue the industry’s influence and impact in economic and job growth for our state and nation.
To view the presentations from the 2012 WBPC speakers, please click here.
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Dalrymple appoints Neset to State Board of Higher Education – Gov. Jack Dalrymple announced the appointment of Kathleen Neset to the State Board of Higher Education on Tuesday, June 19. Dalrymple appointed Neset to fill the unexpired term previously held by Claus Lembke of Grand Forks. Neset is a member of the NDPC Board of Directors
Kathleen Neset will serve a term on the Board of Higher Education that is set to expire June 30, 2013. Neset is a geologist and owner of Neset Consulting Service in Tioga. The company employs about 180 workers and contractors and provides internships to North Dakota college students so that tomorrow’s business leaders can gain valuable work experience. Neset also serves as co-chair for the North Dakota 2020 & Beyond Steering Committee. A graduate of Brown University, Neset has previously served as a science teacher and business manager at Tioga Public Schools. Congratulations, Kathy!
EERC and North Dakota Industrial Commission Establish Student Co-Op Program – The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND) has established a student co-op program under the EERC’s “Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Enhanced Bakken Recovery Research Program” and has hired a group of five students from UND. This co-op program is supported with funding from the North Dakota Industrial Commission Oil and Gas Research Program.
The EERC hired three students from the Geological and Petroleum Engineering areas as well as two more students from the Mechanical Engineering area. The students will be conducting cutting-edge laboratory- and modeling-based investigations regarding the potential use of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in oil fields of the Bakken petroleum system. Four of the students are recent graduates from North Dakota high schools in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Hazen, while the fifth student is from Palmer, Alaska.
The students will also work closely with the EERC research scientists and engineers on activities that include detailed analyses of reservoir core and fluid samples using state-of-the-art equipment, interpretation of well log data, creation of static reservoir models, and dynamic reservoir simulation.
All co-op students will be working at the EERC through the end of August.
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Community Focus – Oil field workers volunteer labor for Mandaree community On May 24, 2012, volunteers from eight oil and gas industry companies worked to clean up the St. Anthony’s and Congregational Cemeteries in the Mandaree area. Lead by Enerplus Resources, the project was organized after Enerplus employee Teresa Presser attended an Elders’ Dinner looking for a way for industry to get personally involved and give back to the community. Workers from SWCA Environmental Consultants; Quale Trucking; F&M Construction; Maheshu Energy and Trucking; Blackstone, LLC; J&J Rental; and Baker Consulting helped paint, mow and rake the cemeteries. “We’re not here just to take the resources, but to get involved and give back,” Teresa said. “It’s a labor of love.” According to the MHI Times, SWCA Environmental Consultants provided the paint, Enerplus provided sack lunches; and everyone brought equipment to work with – weed eaters, mowers, rakes, paint brushes, etc. *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.* |
Waste management workshops – The Department of Health, in cooperation with the ND Solid Waste and Recycling Association, will be holding three half-day waste management workshops this October geared specifically to oilfield issues. Workshops will be held in Dickinson, Williston and Minot on October 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Issues of concern that will be covered include special waste rules for ND and MT; waste screening and segregation; what types of waste are appropriate at different landfills; and naturally occurring radiation. For more information, contact Scott Radig at sradig@nd.gov or 701-328-5166.
2011 Economic Impact Study – Economic Impact Study surveys have been mailed to oil operators, pipelines, and gas plants. 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 previously conducted in 2005, 2007 and 2009. The 2009 study revealed that the petroleum industry in North Dakota had a $12.7 billion economic impact.
NDPC Conducting Contribution Survey – In an effort to provide an accurate account of the oil and gas industry’s contributions to North Dakota, we have created a survey to capture everything your company is doing to improve the communities in which you operate.
An email with the link to the survey has been sent to your main point of contact for the Council. Please ensure the right person receives the survey. Your participation in this survey will be a great help in demonstrating to key decision makers the industry’s goodwill toward this state. The survey may be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B2DZ7WC.
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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!
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
June 27-28 October 24-25
July 25-26 November 28-29
August 22-23 December 19-20
September 26-27 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.
