LISTEN: Lynn Helms’ conversation with The Flag’s Scott Hennen
LISTEN: Ron Ness’ conversation with The Flag’s Scott Hennen
NORTH DAKOTA – North Dakota is celebrating the 75th anniversary of oil being discovered in the state.
The United States Geological Survey sent a team to North Dakota in 1912 to survey the land. They found marine fossils in the mouths of the Cannon Ball and White Earth rivers. The first core samples were taken in 1938.
Former Director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Lynn Helms said in 1951, one in 10 wells in the state found oil. Of those, one in three were commercially viable.
“The risk has gone from 90 percent of the wells were dried to one percent. It’s completely changed the face of the oil and gas industry in terms of capital investment and infrastructure and how you can plan for decades of production,” Helms said.
Helms said in 1951 it took 18 months to produce one million barrels of oil in North Dakota and now it takes 20 hours. The oil was then taken to Montana and Minnesota refineries by rail. Amoco built a refinery in Mandan in 1954.
North Dakota Petroleum Council President and CEO Ron Ness said there are 18 oil-producing counties in the state and 52 of 53 counties in North Dakota have had oil wells drilled.
He added the economic viability of the state’s natural resources are astounding.
“It’s building schools rather than closing schools in rural communities. It’s having grocery stores and gas stations being built. Those of us from small towns, we understand how towns die and kids leave. We’ve flipped the age of North Dakotans from being one of the oldest states to the youngest states,” Ness explained.
