New Members- Thanks to the new Petroleum Council members, The Empire Company, Farden Construction, and the Minot Area Development Corporation (supporting member).
North Dakota Oil Activity is Wild – The December 2007 oil production was 135,000 barrels per day. The all-time record production was 148,000 barrels per day in February 1984. The State of North Dakota’s oil and gas production tax revenues from July through December 2007 were $160 million. The State Land Department is receiving about $3.4 million per month in royalty and lease income. There are currently 59 rigs operating in the state with expectations of going higher. The Oil & Gas Division issued 91 permits to drill in January 2008. There were 128 new Bakken wells and 28 other new wells completed last year. The Petroleum Council will be releasing the 2008 Facts & Figures brochure this spring.
Big Crowds at Oil & Gas Town Hall Meetings – More than 270 people attended the Town Hall Meetings in Watford City and Killdeer. The standing-room only crowds had many questions and were pleased with the sharing of information at the meetings. We anticipate large crowds at all the locations. The Bowman Town Hall Meeting has been rescheduled for January 22 at noon. Town Hall Meetings will also be held in Tioga and Stanley (February 25), and New Town (February 26). The meetings are being put together by the Oil and Gas Producing Counties, Petroleum Council, and the Oil and Gas Research Council. For more information on the meeting time and location, check out - http://www.ndoil.org/content/view/88/2/.
Petroleum Council to Host Denver Social - Join the Petroleum Council Board of Directors at the Brown Palace Club Room in Denver on March 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. All members and non-members with oil and gas interests in North Dakota are invited to the social. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Rick Ross by March 4 at .
North Dakota Oil Industry Energy Transmission Needs Study - Basin Electric released the aggregate results of a recent survey of North Dakota oil producers which measured the future electrical needs by looking at oil and gas development in the Williston Basin. The study received funding support from the Oil and Gas Research Council. The study results, which include an oil production forecast and the planned electric upgrades, can be found at http://www.nd.gov/ndic/ogrp/info/g-012-023-sumpres.pdf.
Williston Basin Petroleum Conference & Expo – We were expecting about 700 in Minot, but the indications are that we might need to plan for possibly 1,000 to attend the conference. To date, 320 people have registered and 60 booths have been reserved at the Expo. We urge you to reserve your hotel rooms if you plan to attend. The first Bakken Core Workshop is full, so due to popular demand, this workshop is being offered a second time during the conference. A Second Bakken Core Workshop has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 29 1:30 – 5:30 p.m. (at the Holiday Inn). The workshop is limited to the first 50 registrants.
Oil and Gas Research Council Funds Nearly $1.7 Million in Projects – The projects included two Bakken projects as well as a portable multi-phase oil meter flow measurement system. To view the projects the Research Council funded and for information on the June 1, 2008 grant round, see http://www.nd.gov/ndic/ogrp-project.htm.
ND Attorney General Opinion Denies Easy Access to County Recorder Documents - In a letter opinion dated February 13, 2007, the ND Attorney General dealt a blow to the industry’s efforts to duplicate county recorder records faster and more efficiently. The request for an Attorney General’s opinion was the result of the McLean County States Attorney’s determination that county recorders did not have the authority to make available for duplication records stored off-site. Other county recorders had made those off-site records available to industry for duplication, to speed up the process of running title and reduce congestion in the court houses. The Attorney General’s opinion prohibits county recorders from making those off-site records available to private parties in the future. The opinion goes on to give the county recorder broad discretion with respect to limiting the use of scanners or other equipment to copy records retained by the recorder’s office. The opinion is clearly a step backward for the industry which has been attempting to modernize the approach to examining title documents. As a result of the opinion, industry may need to prepare and seek support for corrective legislation in the 2009 legislative session.
McKenzie County’s Real Estate Records Digitizing Project – The McKenzie County Recorder has notified us that all real estate records in McKenzie County from Patent (1905) through the present are available on their computer system in the court house. All documents from 1982 to the present are available on NDRIN (North Dakota Recorders Information Network), and they are in the process of uploading all the old records to the NDRIN website which is available to subscribers 24/7. This upload process should be completed by mid-March. Other counties are working toward digitizing their county’s records, as well. Having digitized records is much easier and faster for landmen and abstractors to make copies. The McKenzie County Recorder indicates that the faster the work can be done in the court house equates to more drilling and more money back to the citizens, cities, and county. We salute McKenzie County for their pro-business approach.
State Chamber Business Conference Features Four Nationally Renowned Speakers – Petroleum Council members invited to State Chamber Conference at member rates. The one-day conference will kick-off at 11:30 a.m. in Fargo, North Dakota on March 4 with Billy McKinney, the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball analyst and radio broadcaster, presenting Winning Through Community Service; Jason Dorsey’s presentation, Loyalty at Any Age, will provide insight into how to attract, retain, and motivate young professionals; and, Terry Bowden, renowned as one of the brightest young minds in college football, will present, Win With Teamwork. Tony Snow, White House Press Secretary (2006-2007) is the banquet speaker. Tony will provide an insiders perspective in his Election 2008 Update. The conference registration fee is only $225 for ND Chamber or Petroleum Council members and $300 for non-members. To register, go to www.ndchamber.com/events/default.asp, or call the North Dakota Chamber office at 701-222-0929 or 800-382-1405.
Petroleum Council Relocates – The Petroleum Council has moved about 20 feet down the hall into new office space. The street address is the same, but the suite number has changed to 200. We have space available for any member visiting town in need of an office, phone, wireless internet, or just a place to hang out. During the move, we have discovered some amazing historical documents dating back to the creation of the North Dakota Oil & Gas Association in March 1952. We are making plans to restore some of these documents and will provide some snippets in the future. Feel free to stop by and visit.
For more information on any of these issues, contact the North Dakota Petroleum Council at (701) 223-6380.
