New Members – Thanks to the new Petroleum Council members Park Construction Company and Tracker Resource Development.

Two New Town Hall Meetings Scheduled – Due to the success of the first town hall meetings, there will be two additional town hall meetings held April 10 at 11:30 a.m. CDT in Mohall, North Dakota and 5 p.m. MDT in Beulah, North Dakota.  These meetings will feature state and local officials, along with industry representatives, who will present information on the oil and gas industry and answer questions about the energy development in their area.  For more information on the meeting times, location, and agenda, check out http://www.ndoil.org/content/view/94/100/.

2008 Teacher Seminar Draws Near – The 2008 Teacher Seminar will be held June 9-12 in Bismarck.  One of the challenges facing teachers is helping students apply the information they learn in the classroom to their professional careers.  This seminar helps educators learn, bring projects back to the classroom, and relate the classes they teach to employment and career opportunities in the oil and gas industry.  We will also be opening six spots in the seminar to new employees to the industry. To register, or for more information on the seminar, see www.ndoil.org/content/view/92/99/.

We Encourage You to Post Your Jobs at NDoiljobs.com – The Petroleum Council is partnering with NDoiljobs.com to create a user-friendly workforce web site. Workforce concerns are becoming more prominent in the oil and gas industry.  NDoiljobs.com is a collective web site that was created to bring job openings in the oil and gas industry together in one location.  This web site is designed to be a fast, one-stop shop for potential employees to learn more about job openings, living conditions, and entertainment availability for different areas of employment in North Dakota.  For more information on this service, contact Jon Hegre at , or by phone at (303) 482-5242.

Good Neighbor Survey Available Online – The oil and gas industry of North Dakota is committed to being a “good neighbor” as well as a “good steward.”  These surveys are part of a Good Neighbor initiative by the Petroleum Council to provide for developing communication lines from North Dakota residents and employees to the oil and gas industry as a whole. Good Neighbor surveys for residents, as well as industry employees, are available at mysnapsurvey.com.

Williston Basin Petroleum Conference & Expo – Interest in the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference & Expo continues to exceed early expectations.  Workshops, hotels, and booths are selling out quickly. Be sure to register soon if you have not already done so, as late registration begins April 14, 2008.  Thank you to the sponsors and speakers, as you have been an important part in the early success of this conference.
To date we have:
• Over 860 people have registered for the conference
• Exhibit booths are sold out.  There is still some room outside for large equipment displays
• “Sunday Night Ice Breaker” sponsorship package is sold out
• The first and second Bakken Core workshops are sold out
• The Optimizing Frac Treatments in the Bakken has 85 registered attendees
• The Complex Wells Technology for Earth Scientists/Geologists has 15 registered attendees
• The Comfort Inn and Sleep Inn still have room availability
• Sponsorship opportunities are still available
• An email to registrants with specific conference information will be sent out prior to the expo

Denver Social Was a Big Success – More than 80 individuals associated with the North Dakota oil and gas industry attended the Petroleum Council Social in Denver, Colorado.  Thank you to Whiting Oil & Gas, Luff Exploration, EOG Resources, and ConocoPhillips for their assistance in sponsoring this event.

North Dakota Oil Production Jumps – North Dakota reported a total oil production of 45,057,874 barrels of oil in 2007.  Petroleum Council members accounted for nearly 70% of the total 2007 production, or 31,365,300 barrels of oil.  This was an impressive increase of 5,114,464 barrels of oil produced in 2006.  These production totals make 2007 the seventh largest year on record since oil was first discovered in North Dakota in 1951.  For more information, check out http://www.ndoil.org/content/view/96/2/

Petroleum Council Scholarship Fund – The Petroleum Council is offering two $500 scholarships to graduating high school students who will be attending a North Dakota college in 2008, with intentions of pursuing an oil industry-related major.  Applications must be postmarked no later than April 14, 2008.  For details go to http://www.ndoil.org/content/view/95/101/.

Oil & Gas Research Council Grant Deadline is June 1 – The Research Council has funds and is seeking projects to enhance the exploration and production of oil and gas in North Dakota.  For information on how to submit grant proposals, go to http://www.nd.gov/ndic/ogrp-infopage.htm.

IOGCC Names New Executive Director –Mike Smith has been selected as executive director of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC).  Smith will be responsible for providing advocacy, coordination, education, and strategy to the IOGCC's 30-member and eight associate states on key domestic energy issues.

"Mike Smith brings to the IOGCC extensive leadership and expertise rooted in energy issues at both the state and national level," said Alaska Govenor Sarah Palin, IOGCC 2008 chairman. "I am confident that Mr. Smith is well prepared to advance the interests of IOGCC's member states, which are to conserve and maximize the nation's oil and natural gas resources that are so vital to the country's energy, economic and national security."

Petroleum Council Member Mark Gjovig to Head WSI Board – Mark Gjovig of Williston, North Dakota is the new chairman of the Workforce Safety and Insurance board of directors.  Gjovig, who has been on the board for five years, is president of Penkota Wireline Services Inc., an oil well service company.  Gjovig was elected to serve a two-year term by the 11 member board.

Workforce safety is an important issue to the oil and gas industry.  The Petroleum Council would like to applaud and thank Mark for his leadership and commitment to his service in this role.

New API Podcast Posted – In a new podcast (audio recording) posted on www.energytomorrow.org, Ron Ness, president of the Petroleum Council, discusses the vast energy potential of the Williston Basin and Bakken Formation, why these resources have gone untapped until now, and how new technology is making it possible to access these resources while reducing the environmental impact.

Mark Your Calendar – The Petroleum Council Annual Meeting will be held September 16 – 18, 2008 in Bismarck at the Radisson Inn.  We are interested in your ideas for presenters, entertainment, or ways to make this annual event a valuable experience for our members.
 

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 or .