North Dakota swimming in oil

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

I grew up in the Alberta oil fields, just about all of my friends I grew up with work in the oil field in some capacity.

There is a ton of money to be made in it and they are always looking for workers. It is why Fort McMurray is jokingly referred to as the capital of Newfoundland. But there are more cautionary tales than anything. I know a few people who have made a killing and live very comfortable lives. But I know far more that see the dollar signs, are shitty with their money and either a) mortgage themselves to the hilt, gotta have all the toys after all, or b) drink/gamble/snort away every last cent out of boredom, depression, loneliness or a combination of all three. It's easy to say "That won't be me," but when you're surrounded by it 24/7 for weeks on end, it's tough to avoid it.

If you're a rig pig, it's hard, shitty work that keeps you away from your family for weeks at a time. A number of my friends at spend more than a month away from home in one shot, if it is busy enough, are home for a week and are back out for another month or more.

If I wanted to, I could have a job in the oil patch in a heart beat. It would take one phone call. But I've spent the last 13 years doing everything in my power to stay out of it for these reasons. I just could not stand the culture of the oil patch and all of the screwed up shit that goes with it. Although, after dealing with how my industry of choice has treated me the last few years, it is very tempting to cash in my chips.

If you're smart and you want to get into the patch, but do not have, say, an engineering degree, pick up a trade, whether it's welding, electrical, plumbing, etc. They are always in need at camps, on site and working on pipelines, plus it gives you something to fall back on when the oil dries up or the price of oil falls through the floor. Also, it's a little bit better work than drilling.

But yeah, North Dakota, home to badlands (where lots of dinosaurs and prehistoric foliage died), has oil. Who'd a thunk it. I am willing to bet there's some of that there black stuff in other northern states like Montana, South Dakota and even Wyoming as well.

or the other side of it

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

Badlands are in South Dakota.

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

Grizzly Adams DID have a beard.

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

Google is your friend.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=north+dakota+badlands

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

They extend well into North Dakota.

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

My apologies to Beef. I thought they were only in SD.

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

Gas will drop to $1.50 a gallon, kill the electric car industry and then somehow there will be a shortage again and drive prices back up to $3.50 a gallon.

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

Of course, we will not see significant relief at the pumps from all this drilling because a good portion of our domestically-produced oil is being shipped overseas.

Having been to both many times, the ND Badlands (IMHO) are much prettier than those in SD because they are more colorful, thanks to the Little Missouri River. Spent many a weekend camping and hiking in both the north and south units, at Little Missouri State Park near Killdeer, down by White Butte, etc., long before the oil explosion, when western ND was virtually unpopulated. They are a wonderful place.

The boom has been a mixed blessing, from what I can discern from my friends still in the area. They like the money it brings in and the economic opportunity, but miss the old days when Williston, Dickinson and Minot were smaller, safer, and far cheaper cities to live in.

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

They already know there is a lot of oil in those states. The Bakken shale formation stretches all through those states if you look at it's map. North Dakota just has more of it. Eventually those other states will see a boom, it just won't be as big.

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

I've never been anywhere prettier than Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and that includes some amazing coastlines and parks for comparison.

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

That and the Peace Gardens are both on my list. So far, I've only made it to Williston and Bismarck.

Micro and Rick - what is the best month to see the gardens?

 

Re: North Dakota swimming with oil

Much to Mrs. Stain's annoyance, we never made it to the Peace Gardens.

One time I got sent down to Theodore Roosevelt to cover a buffalo roundup. I got driven out to a remote part of the park by a cute park ranger, and we stood there and waited until a helicopter chased a giant herd of buffalo over a nearby hill. That was pretty fucking cool.