Progress 2016 Oil Impact

Minot Daily News SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016 MinotDailyNews.com • Facebook.com/MinotDailyNews

Oil Impact

WIDENING, IMPROVING

TOP LEFT: Traffic flows freely on New Townʼs Main Street after a major reconstruction that was completed this past fall, shown in this North Dakota Department of Transportation photo.

TOP RIGHT: The permanent U.S. 85 Truck Reliever Route north of Williston is open to traffic, shown in this North Dakota Department of Transportation photo.

MAIN: This North Dakota Department of Transportation photo show Main Street through New Town while construction was still under way.

Submitted Photos

By ANDREA JOHNSON Staff Writer ajohnson@minotdailynews.com

The explosive growth in northwest North Dakota during the past few years also resulted in an increase in traffic on the state’s roadways.

But construction workers have been busy widening and improving roadways and bridges in the state to meet the new demands.

Last October, state, local and tribal officials were in New Town to celebrate the completion of a $20 million reconstruction project on the town’s Main Street. The project was 2.28 miles long, according to a press release issued by office of Gov. Jack Dalrymple, and included additional infrastructure improvements such as concrete overlay and widening on Main Street, as well as the

Construction on roads being done to meet new demands reconstruction of shoulders, storm drains, curbs and gutters, sewers and water mains, and the replacement of lighting and signals.

The completion of the Main Street project came just a year after workers had completed the New Town Truck Reliever Route that diverted truck traffic away from the town’s Main Street.

“This project is one of several major roadway projects in the New Town area de-

signed to help support the region’s growing traffic needs,” said Dalrymple at the time.

“The state has invested approximately $54 million in New Town in recent years to improve roadway safety and ease traffic congestion. These enhancements to Main Street will restore this roadway for residents and local businesses, and enhance the overall quality of life for the people of New Town.”

“New Town has seen a lot of changes in

the past few years and I am extremely happy to see this project completed,” said New Town Mayor Dan Uran at the time.

“This project brings increased benefit to our community and restores the quality of life in the heart of New Town.”

Also in October 2015, state and local officials gathered to celebrate the completion of the third phase of Williston’s permanent truck reliever route. As in New Town, the 13-mile bypass diverts truck traffic from the main thoroughfares.

The governor’s office noted that more than 29,000 vehicles had been traveling through the area each day.

According to the governor’s office, the state has spent more than $150 million on the four-lane bypass west of Williston.

The bypass connects U.S. Highway 85 See ROADS — Page 2

Bridge projects under way

By ANDREA JOHNSON ongoing in Burke County, half

a mile west of the Ward County Staff Writer ajohnson@minotdailynews.com line.

Currently, Oak Park Bridge Bridge projects are becom- on Fourth Avenue Northwest ing a large part of the ongoing in Minot is being replaced. Inspectors rated the existing construction in the area.

Construction of a four-lane bridge structurally deficit. The bridge in Williston is slated to plans are to remove the bridge, be completed in 2016, accord- located just east of 16th Street ing to the North Dakota De- over a dead river channel, and partment of Transportation replace it with a box culvert.

Future bridge construction website.

The project will extend the might be on the horizon for U.S. Highway 85 project from Minot as well.

The DOT website shows Watford City to Williston.

The first Lewis and Clark that there are plans to replace bridge was built in 1927. It was the Broadway Bridges in north replaced by a more modern and south Minot in 2017 and 2018. The proposals are curbridge in 1973.

The Department of Trans- rently in the planning stages portation site shows that there and are expected to be comis an ongoing Ward County pleted by this fall.

A public meeting is planned project to replace a bridge three Submitted Photo Construction takes place on the Highway 85 Lewis and Clark Bridge. The old bridge is being re- miles west and three miles for June 2 to get public input.

According to the DOT, the placed with a four-lane structure crossing the Missouri River shown in this North Dakota Department north of Logan.

The DOT site shows there funds would come from fedof Transportation photo. is another bridge replacement eral, state and local sources.

Time of the season Minot Daily News PROGRESS

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Saturday, April 23, 2016

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Contractors to spring into action

By JILL SCHRAMM

Staff Writer jschramm@minotdailynews.com When spring is in the air, construction season won’t be far behind.

The City of Minot has some major infrastructure projects scheduled in the city, and Ward County and the North Dakota Department of Transportation also have highway improvement projects planned in the region.

The city has about $28.2 million in water, sewer and street work planned this construction season, according to the engineering department. The exact cost of the work is unknown because some projects have yet to be bid.

One of the largest projects will be the second phase of the threeyear downtown infrastructure improvements project. The engineer’s estimate was $12.37 million, but bids came in from $8.88 million to $11.66 million. The bids are under review.

The 2016 portion of the project will replace water and sewer lines and storm sewer pipes, place concrete streets, curb and gutter and sidewalks and install new street lighting, benches and trash receptacles within 14 city blocks of downtown Minot, including on Main Street.

Major street projects planned in the city include 36th Avenue Northwest construction on the west side of Broadway and 37th Avenue Southwest reconstruction from 16th Street to 30th Street. The 37th Avenue project will force temporary closure of the road, with local traffic detours and temporary access points.

An overlay is planned on West Burdick Expressway from 16th Street to the U.S. Highway 2 & 52 Bypass. Details still are in development, but the engineering office reports the street likely will be closed during construction because of the utility replacement work and rightof-way constraints.

Due to a state funding cut, a South Broadway mill and overlay project has been scaled back to deal

Roads

Continued from Page 1

and U.S. Highway 2.

According to the governor, it spent a total of $420 million on truck routes that re-route trucks through Watford City, Alexander, Dickinson and Killdeer as well as Williston and New Town.

Work on the bypass in Williston began in early 2014, with construction of a new intersection at U.S. Highway 2 and U.S. Highway 85. The final two phases of the four lane were completed in 2015.

The NDDOT worked closely with the community to alleviate traffic congestion by providing the temporary truck reliever route until this new route could be created,” NDDOT Director Grant Levi said at the ribbon cutting for

Jill Schramm/MDN

Vehicles drive across the Oak Park Bridge on Fourth Avenue Northwest Tuesday. The bridge is scheduled for replacement this spring and summer. with the worst areas only. The project area extends from 20th Avenue South to south of city limits. The project will reduce lanes and create head-to-head traffic.

The Oak Park Bridge on Fourth Avenue Northwest will be replaced at a cost of about $1.6 million. The project involves replacing the bridge by Loaf and Jug and the street lighting from 17th Street to the river by 10th Street.

The project is to start within the next few weeks and finish by July 8. The roadway will be closed, and

the Williston project. “With over 13 miles of new roadway and a reconstructed intersection of U.S. Highway 2 and 85, the new Williston Northwest Permanent Truck Reliever Route has vastly improved travel in the city of Williston.”

Earlier that year, in June 2015, state and local officials celebrated the completion of the U.S. Highway 2 Overpass/ 18th Street Underpass in Williston. According to the governor’s office, the $15 million, state-funded project was designed to create a separation between local and regional traffic, providing an overpass for regional traffic and an underpass for local traffic. In addition, pedestrian improvements were added to the underpass, including sidewalks, landscaping and lighting on either side of 18th Street as part of the new construc-

traffic will detour north of 16th Street, east on University, then south on Broadway.

In addition, the city will be working on various street seal projects, sanitary and storm sewer rehabilitation and water main replacement. The city is replacing water and sanitary sewer lines at the Eighth Street Northeast river crossing. The lines are old and have become difficult to maintain.

The city also will be replacing the Hillcrest Drive retaining wall and continuing flood protection

tion.

A ground-breaking ceremony for the Killdeer project was held in August 2015. The state planned to invest $30 million in the truck bypass, which will be two lanes and extend for four miles. According to the governor’s office, the project includes the construction of two roundabouts: one at the bypass route’s northern intersection with N.D. Highway 22 and another at the intersection of N.D. Highway 200. The project was expected to be completed in the fall of 2016.

Since 2006 through the summer of 2015, traffic through Killdeer had increased from about 1,400 vehicles per day to the traffic count of about 8,000 vehicles per day, according to Dalrymple’s office.

In October 2014, state and local officials celebrated the completion of three highway bypass projects in Watford City and Alexander, and the second phase of the U.S. 85 four-lane project between Watford City and Williston. The Watford City bypasses, located southwest and southeast of the city, serve to re-route truck traffic on U.S. Highway 85 and N.D. Highway 23 around the edge of the city to U.S. 85 south. The Alexander bypass also moves truck traffic around the city toward U.S. 85.

Work is ongoing on the next phase of the four lane project between Watford City and Williston, according to the Department of Transportation website.

In 2015, the Tioga N.D. Highway 40 Reconstruction project was completed. It consisted of widening the existing two-lane asphalt roadway to a three-lane concrete roadway with eight-foot shoulders and turn lanes. Crews also added traffic signals and street lighting as part of this project, according to the Department of Transportation website.

Other road projects for the future in the western part of

work around the water treatment plant. The foundation of the flood wall must cross 16th Street Southwest, which will require the street to close between Burdick Expressway and the river during construction. The project is scheduled to be completed while school is not in session this summer.

City engineer Lance Meyer said the construction won’t finish the road improvements needed because of growth in Minot.

“We need quite a bit of road upgrades and new construction yet.

The city will have to do the best it can related to growth until additional funding sources become available to help offset the immense cost of roadway infrastructure,” he said.

Also in the Minot area this summer, the state Department of Transportation plans an asphalt overlay on northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 83 from Minot to Minot Air Force Base.

The Ward County Highway Department has several projects planned in 2016. The list includes: ® Ward County Road 10, mill and overlay from Berthold to U.S. Highway 52, $2.6 million. ® Ward County Roads 1, 9 and 23, chip seal, $1 million. ® Ward County Roads 15, 16 and 18, graveling, $1.1 million. ® Ward County Road 20, east of County Road 11, grade raise, $1.25 million. ® Bridge replacement west of Kenmare, to be bid in May, estimated at $1.5 million. ® Ward County Road 24, east of U.S. Highway 83, grade raise, to be bid in May, estimated at $1.5 million. ® Ward County Road 20, from County Road 9 west four miles, paving, to be bid in May, estimated at $2 million. ® Ward County Road 23 from U.S. Highway 52 south to N.D. Highway 23, widening, to be bid in June, estimated at $1 million.

The county also plans to bid the grading work on Ward County Road 18 this year. The project is in the process of design and right-ofway acquisition.

Other state projects include reconstructing N.D. Highway 23 from U.S. Highway 83 to the junction with N.D. Highway 28, which goes to Ryder. The project includes widening and adding passing lanes.

The transportation department also has scheduled an asphalt overlay on N.D. Highway 5 from Mohall east to the Renville corner. A bridge deck overlay is planned on the bridge over the Souris River on N.D. Highway 5, west of Mohall.

Turn lane improvements are planned on U.S. Highway 2 at various intersections east and west of Minot. Turn lane construction will occur on U.S. Highway 83. The work includes a northbound right turn at Forfar and Glenburn and northbound left turn at Lansford corners. The state also will have a variety of chip seal and microsurfacing projects underway in the district.

TOP: Concrete work takes place on the east end of New Town during a major reconstruction of Main Street through downtown New Town shown in this North Dakota Department of Transportation photo taken last fall.

BOTTOM: Traffic goes through a construction zone on N.D. Highway 22 just south of Killdeer shown in this North Dakota Department of Transportation photo.

Submitted Photos

the state are also being considered.

According to the North Dakota Department of Transportation website, the DOT and the Federal Highway Administration are starting the environmental review process for a four lane U.S. Highway 85, stretching about 62 miles from the Interstate 94 interchange to the Watford City Bypass in Stark, Billings and McKenzie Counties. The pro-

posed project would also include rehabilitating or replacing the Long X Bridge over the Little Missouri River.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation site also shows projects will continue throughout this summer.

Many state and county projects include asphalt overlays and chip sealing, which will mean some traffic delays for motorists.

In Williams County, a truck

reliever route for northeast of the city is proposed to get under way. It would connect N.D. Highway 1804 on the east side of the city to U.S. Highway 2/85 and also to the Williston Northwest Truck Reliever Route.

In Ward County, among the ongoing projects listed is a state project widening passing lanes on N.D. Highway 23 from N.D. Highway 28 to the county line.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

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Minot Daily News PROGRESS

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Oil Impact

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Saturday, April 23, 2016

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Saturday, April 23, 2016

It’s a celebration

ABOVE: Sen. John Hoeven, right, speaks at the grand opening of the new 55th Crossing Fire Station Wednesday. At left are former fire chief CJ Craven and Fire Chief Kelli Flermoen.

LEFT: Members of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors join fire department and city officials and Sen. John Hoeven in cutting the ribbon on the new 55th Crossing Fire Station Wednesday.

City dedicates new fire station

Photos by Jill Schramm/MDN

By JILL SCHRAMM

Staff Writer jschramm@minotdailynews.com City and fire department officials cut the ribbon at a grand opening event.

The $3.4 million 55th Crossing Station is giving the Minot Fire Department better coverage in southeast Minot. The department is close to meeting its goal of achieving a 4minute or less response time to calls within the city.

Minot Fire Chief Kelli Flermoen said the station means meeting that goal with consistency and also providing the services the residents have come to expect. Flermoen, who joined the department in January when the station was still under construction, said the project was a sign to her that the community prioritized safety.

“It’s extremely important to me to

I think it recognizes the growth we are experiencing and the positive steps we are taking within the city to make sure that safety remains our highest priority.

– Mayor Chuck Barney

live in a community where safety is a priority,” she said.

Former fire chief, CJ Craven, who retired after 35 years with the department, said plans for the fire station were conceived four years ago. He said

the goal was to provide fire protection to a nearby affordable housing development under construction as well as to improve the fire protection for the entire city.

“I think it recognizes the growth we

are experiencing and the positive steps we are taking within the city to make sure that safety remains our highest priority,” Mayor Chuck Barney said of the station.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, spoke at the ceremony to praise the efforts of the department to respond to the community’s fire protection needs.

“It takes really amazing people,” he said. “It also takes the equipment and it takes the facility.”

The station was constructed with funding assistance from a federal Community Development Block Grant received after the 2011 flood.

“It reflects the magic of Minot in our commitment to rebuild bigger and better,” Hoeven said.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND, and Congressman Kevin Cramer, R-ND, also sent remarks, and Cramer’s office presented the station with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

FULFILLING NEEDS

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PSC provides $6.8B in infrastructure in recent years

By ELOISE OGDEN

Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com The Public Service Commission has provided $6.8 billion worth of infrastructure in the past three years, says Julie Fedorchak, chairman of the state agency.

“That can be broken down into a few different categories,” Fedorchak told members of the American Petroleum Institute-Bakken Chapter and Young Professionals in Energy-Minot Chapter in the Sleep Inn in Minot March 3.

Generation facilities have been built in western North Dakota to keep up with the demand in that part of the state, including four new gas peaker plants.

Peaking power plants, also known as peaker plants, and occasionally just “peakers,” are power plants that generally run only when there is a high demand, known as peak demand, for electricity.

She said the PSC provided permits for over $1 billion worth of gas plants. She said one of the plants, a fairly large one at Demicks Lake (in McKenzie County), is on hold until activity picks up and they have the demand to meet those needs.

Fedorchak was appointed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple to the N.D. PSC in December 2012 to fill out the term vacated by Congressman Kevin Cramer. She was elected in November 2014.

The PSC also has provided more than $3.4 billion worth of permits for pipelines. She said Enbridge’s Sandpiper is one of those lines. “We’re hoping that someday soon it will get a permit from Minnesota,” she said.

The North Dakota Pipeline Co.’s Sandpiper Pipeline Project received permits for its route and corridor from the N.D. PSC in June 2014. Enbridge Energy Partners and Williston Basin Pipe Line, an indirect subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corp., formed North Dakota Pipeline Co., whose assets are operated

by Enbridge. The 616-mile-long crude oil pipeline would be constructed from Enbridge’s Beaver Lodge Station, near Tioga, to Enbridge’s Superior Terminal, near Superior, Wis., along with associated pumping facilities.

Fedorchak said Dakota Access pipeline was recently permitted by the commission. “That’s the biggest pipeline in North Dakota history. It covers 350 miles of North Dakota and is a $1.4 billion investment in our state,” she said. She said three different public hearings with hours and hours of public testimony were held as well as extensive dialogue with the company. “It is ready to go as soon as permitting is finished in other states,” she said. “We’re really pleased with how all that turned out.

The N.D. PSC approved the Dakota Access siting permit in January following more than a year of review. The pipeline is proposed to transport light, sweet crude oil from the North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota and Iowa into Illinois. Traveling through 50 counties in 4 states, the proposed route was carefully designed to transport crude in the safest, most efficient way possible, according to its website.

Four big transmission line projects also have been permitted, Fedorchak said.

“Another area where we’re seeing continued huge interest is wind development,” she said. “We’ve provided permits for seven projects since I’ve been on the commission – almost a thousand megawatts of wind energy – and $1.7 billion in investments for wind,” she said.

“So the grand total in the last three years again is $6.8 billion,” she said. “I think it really does speak to the long-term commitment that companies are making in North Dakota. They’re still building pipelines, they still have the contracts in place to make these things pencil out economically for their companies and for their investors, and they’re still coming back to finish up more. We have four active pipeline applications at the commission that we’ve received in the last couple weeks. The investment continues despite the current price situation. I think that’s fairly encouraging for the long haul.”

In regard to some regulatory challenges, Fedorchak said reclamation was a huge challenge. “It has been for the last few years,” she said. “Since I stepped on the board with the commission that was the first thing that I’ve heard the most from citizens. They just were not happy with pipeline reclamation. They had to get their trust back so they wouldn’t keep saying no to pipeline easements.”

She said the commission resited transmission lines. “We’ve worked closely with the companies over the last few years and developed a really good third-party inspection program that’s actually paid for out of the siting fee. We hire the third-party inspectors who go out and monitor the construction of the pipeline from the minute the first shovel of dirt is dug to the very end,” she said. She said the inspectors are not there 24/7 but are there at different times during the process.

“We’ve had very good cooperation with the companies on implementing that process,” she said. She said the landowners seem to be much more comfortable with that process.

Fedorchak pointed out that North Dakota is an agriculture state. “Farming has been our No. 1 industry for years. It’s always going to be and we have to find a way to balance the ag and energy industries together, and I believe that we can. It just takes a little time to get the balance right. In many respects I think we’ve worked through a lot of those issues and things will be much smoother and more productive in the future,” she said.

She said the PSC pursued rail safety during the last Legislative session.

“That’s an area the feds have 100 percent authority over the safety of the rail system through the Federal

TOP LEFT: Julie Fedorchak, chair of the North Dakota Public Service Commission, participates in an emergency oil spill response exercise conducted by Enbridge pipelines.

ABOVE: Julie Fedorchak, chair of the North Dakota Public Service Commission, visits Midcoʼs North Dakota headquarters in Fargo and the high-speed data center serving thousands of North Dakota customers.

Submitted Photos

What is the PSC? The North Dakota Public Service Commission is a constitutional agency with varying degrees of statutory authority over abandoned mine lands, coal mine reclamation, electric and gas utilities, telecommunications companies, energy conversion facility siting, transmission facility siting, railroads, grain elevators, facility-based grain buyers, roving grain buyers, and hay buyers, auctioneers, auction clerks, weighing and measuring devices, pipeline safety, and underground damage prevention.

Rail System and they have inspectors situated throughout the country to monitor those systems,” she said. “Understandably, in the last couple years North Dakota’s had some pretty significant accidents that got people quite concerned and asking a lot of questions over who is monitoring these systems and what’s the process,” she said.

The PSC succeeded in getting a state rail safety program through the N.D. Legislature. The agency started the program last summer and two railroad inspectors have been hired.

“We inspect to the same standards, our inspectors are certified and trained by the FRA and they operate the same authority as the FRA inspectors in terms of what they can require of the railroads in fixing, putting track out of service and all that sort of thing. The only thing is we pay for them – there’s no federal cost sharing. But on the bright side they’re 100 percent accountable to us. They can’t be pulled off of our system and put into Washington for a big accident that has to be responded to or investigated in another state.

They’re ours and they stay committed and examining our infrastructure all the time, “ she said.

“We’re excited to have those two on board. The program is funded by diesel fuel tax paid by railroads, it was already collected and it wasn’t increased to cover this program so it doesn’t impact the general fund dollars which are in short supply these days, “ she said.

She said North Dakota has 3,000 miles of rail track and 175 North Dakota communities have the railroad running right through the heart of town. “It really does have a huge impact on the citizens, and it is a big safety

issue. I do think it is appropriate that the state is involved and engaged in how we can monitor the safety of that system,” Fedorchak said.

An audience member asked what she sees is going to happen in the state in the next six to nine months.

“I think until the price rebounds we just are not going to see these companies drilling and the fracking is even being put off because you just can’t get your money back. The one bright spot I’ve heard is from Eugene Graner,” she said. Graner is an economist in Bismarck who closely watches the North Dakota markets. She said he has predicted this downtrend before other folks were predicting it and he’s predicting the price to increase to $40 or $50 by the end of the summer. “Maybe he’ll be right again,” she said.

“It’s so hard to see people losing their jobs and just the slowdown... it’s a tough time,” she said. “But I am encouraged that these companies would not be continuing to invest in million-dollar pipelines if they didn’t think there was going to be a product to ship down those pipelines for the next 30 years. These are 30-year investments and so that oil has to be drilled and it has to be fracked.

“I think it’s going to be tough for a bit but I have to believe in the long run things are going to turn around.

Maybe it won’t be the glory days, the frantic days that it was a couple years ago but I think all of us would welcome even just a moderate pace – a fairly stable price that the companies can feel that they can continue to invest and produce this oil. I don’t have a crystal ball to say when that day is,” she said.

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Saturday, April 23, 2016

Statewide rig count at low number

By ELOISE OGDEN

Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com BISMARCK – The statewide rig count was down 87 percent from the high, said Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, in the April report of the oil and gas industry.

In the five most active counties, Helms said the rig count was down as follows: – Divide: 92 percent (high was March 2013) – Dunn: 87 percent (high was June 2012) – McKenzie: 79 percent (high was January 2014) – Mountrail: 93 percent (high was June 2011) – Williams: 94 percent Lynn (high was October 2014) Helms The drilling rig count fell 12 from January to February, eight from February to March, and three more from March to April 15.

As of April 15, there were 29 rigs actively drilling in the North Dakota oil field. That number was the lowest since October 2015 when it also was 29. The all-time high was 218 on May 29, 2012.

“Operators are committed to running the minimum number of rigs while oil prices remain at current low levels,” Helms said. “The number of well completions remained fell from 71 (final) in January to 63 (preliminary) in February.

Helms said oil price weakness is the primary reason for the slowdown and is now anticipated to last into at least the third quarter of this year and perhaps into the second quarter of 2017.

The most recent oil and gas production figures show North Dakota produced 1,118,333 barrels a day of oil in February, a decline compared to January when 1,122,462 barrels a day were produced.

The state produced 1.69 billion cubic feet a day of natural gas in February, a preliminary new all-time high.

Helms said more than 98 percent of drilling now targets the Bakken and Three Forks formations, same as in March 2015.

However, five years ago in March 2011, 95 percent of drilling targeted those formations.

The estimated number of wells waiting on completion services is 907, down 38 from the end of January, Helms said.

The estimated inactive well count is 1,439.

Helms said crude oil take-away capacity remains dependent on rail deliveries to coastal refineries to remain adequate.

“Low oil price associated with lifting sanctions on Iran and a weaker economy in China is expected to lead to further cuts in the drilling rig count,” Helms said.

He said the utilization rate for rigs capable of 20,000-plus feet is about 30 percent and for shallow well rigs (7,000 feet or less) about 20 percent.

Drilling permit activity declined January to February, then fell further in February as operators continued to position themselves for the low 2016 price scenarios, Helms said. He said operators have a significant permit inventory should a return to the drilling price point occur in the next 12 months.

No rigs were actively drilling on federal surface in the Dakota Prairie Grasslands. Five years earlier, in March 2011, three wells were being drilled in that federal surface.

Activity on the Fort Berthold Reservation includes: – 4 drilling rigs (none on fee lands and four on trust lands) – 16,874 barrels of oil per day (113,826 from trust lands and 54,248 from fee lands) – 1,435 active wells (980 on trust lands and 455 on fee lands) – 173 wells waiting on completion – 548 approved drilling permits (342 on trust lands and 206 on fee lands) – 1,805 additional potential future wells (1,288 on trust lands and 517 on fee lands).

Activity on Fort Berthold Reservation reported a year ago in March 2015 was as follows: – 18 drilling rigs (6 on fee lands and 12 on trust lands) – 375,158 barrels of oil per day (152,208 from trust lands and 222,951 from fee lands) – 1,420 active wells (1,095 on trust

TOP: A Canadian Pacific Railway train with tank cars waits near Max April 10. Crude oil take-away capacity remains dependent on rail deliveries to coastal refineries to remain adequate, said Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources.

BOTTOM: A pumping unit is shown in the western North Dakota oil field.

Oil-field activity has slowed down in past months due to the low prices but the work continues.

Photos by Eloise Ogden/MDN

lands and 325 on fee lands) – 120 wells waiting on completion – 390 approved drilling permits (227 on trust lands and 132 on fee lands) – 1,948 additional potential future wells (1,173 on trust lands and 775 on fee lands) (Fort Berthold Reservation: Trust refers to lands the federal government holds legal title but the beneficial interest remains with the individual Indian or tribe.

Fee land is not held in trust by the United States.)

Seismic activity was up significantly, according to Helms. He said North Dakota leasing activity is limited to renewals and top leases in the Bakken-Three Forks area.

Helms said North Dakota easing activity is limited to renewals and top leases in the Bakken-Three Forks area. Last year at this time, he said North Dakota leasing activity was very low, consisting mostly of renewals and top leases in the BakkenThree Forks areas.

Five years ago, in March 2011, he said leasing activity remained mainly focused on renewals and top leases in the BakkenThree Forks thermal maturity area, but there was significant activity south of Dickinson to the south Dakota border.

Helms said U.S. natural gas storage is now 54.4 percent above the five-year average indicating low prices in the future.

“North Dakota shallow gas exploration could be economic at future gas prices, but is not at the current price,” Helms said.

He said the operator of the exploration well in Emmons County received temporary abandoned status on Aug. 31, 2015, and canceled all other permits in the area.

“The well appears to contain two pay sections totaling about 80 feet thick with very good gas shows,” Helms said.

The price of natural gas delivered to Northern Border at Watford City was down $0.34 to $1.46/million cubic feet, in early March, Helms said. “This results in a current oil to gas price ratio of 21 to 1.

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Flared gas down to 11 percent

This photo was taken in the North Dakota oil field. The percentage of gas flared in the state was down to 11 percent as of mid-April.

By ELOISE OGDEN

Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com BISMARCK – The percentage of gas flared in the North Dakota oil field was down to 11 percent as of midApril, said Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, in the most recent report of oil and natural gas productions in the state.

Flaring means to burn the natural gas that cannot be processed or sold.

Fracking forces natural gas and crude oil out of the shale by using highly pressurized and treated water. When

oil-field drillers get the crude oil out of the ground, they also get natural gas.

Helms said the Tioga gas plant operated at 84 percent of capacity. “Even though the expansion of gas gathering from south of Lake Sakakawea was approved, the approval came too late for the 2015 construction season, resulting in a one-year delay,” he said.

The February Bakken capture percentage was 89 percent with the daily volume of gas flared from January to February down 21.9 million cubic feet per day. The historical high flared percent was 36 percent in September 2011.

Eloise Ogden/MDN

Gas capture statistics are as follows:

– Statewide: 89 percent – Statewide Bakken: 89 percent – Non-Fort Berthold Reservation Bakken: 90 percent – Fort Berthold Reservation Bakken: 87 percent – Trust Fort Berthold Reservation Bakken: 87 percent – Fee Fort Berthold Reservation: 89 percent – February-February 2015 capture target: 77 percent – April 2016-January 2016 capture target: 80 percent – January 2016-February 2018 capture target: 85 percent – February 2018-February 2020 capture target: 88 percent – After February 2020 capture target: 91 percent (Fort Berthold Reservation: Trust refers to lands the federal government holds legal title but the beneficial interest remains with the individual Indian or tribe. Fee land is not held in trust by the United States.)

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Mandaree resident takes flaring message to DC lawmakers Minot Daily News PROGRESS

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — A resident of Mandaree traveled to the nation’s capital earlier this month to get support for a new rule that would limit the waste of natural gas from oil and gas fields.

Lisa DeVille, a board member of Dakota Resource Council and the Western Organization of Resource Councils and an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation on the Fort Berthold Reservation, was scheduled to meet with Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and Rep. Kevin Cramer, RN.D., to share her experience dealing with the Bakken oil and gas development and her perspective on the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed methane waste prevention rule for public and tribal lands.

The Fort Berthold Reservation contains about 1,500 oil and gas wells.

“Many of those are flaring 24/7, which means that you can see gas flares in every direction you look,” DeVille said.

“They sound like the roaring of a jet engine, and they can light up the night sky as bright as day. And this is gas that could be used to heat thousands of homes. It’s so strange. They just treat it like a byproduct.”

The BLM’s rule would require oil and gas operators to reduce the amount of natural gas that they flare, vent or leak on public and tribal lands. The companies would have to capture and market methane emissions. In 2013 alone, the amount of natural gas wasted through flaring, venting or leaks on public and tribal lands could have heated the cities of Dallas and Denver, combined, for an entire year, according to DRC officials.

“I’m just someone who knows we have a human right to clean air, clean land, and clean water,” DeVille said. “So I want stricter laws, and I want stricter enforcement from the Bureau of Land Management.

I want stronger inspections, rules, and regulations. The industry needs to take care of what’s happened.”

DeVille is among North Dakotans featured in Living with Oil and Gas , a new social media project sponsored by the Western Organization of Resource Councils that tells the stories of directly impacted individuals, in their own words, from the heart of the Bakken oil fields of Montana and North Dakota to the natural gas fields and frontline communities of eastern Wyoming and Col-

Saturday, April 23, 2016

“I’m just someone who knows we have a human right to clean air, clean land and clean water. So I want stricter laws, and I want stricter enforcement from the Bureau of Land Management. I want stronger inspections, rules and regulations. The industry needs to take care of what’s happened.”

— Lisa Deville, board member of Dakota Resource Council and Western Organization of Resource Councils orado’s Western Slope.

The Senate Public Lands and Mining Subcommittee was scheduled to hold a hearing on the BLM’s proposed methane rules April 14. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., serves on the subcommittee.

The BLM has been comments on its proposed rule.

The deadline for those comments was April 22.

Dakota Resource Council was formed in 1978 to protect North Dakota’s land, air, water, rural communities, and agricultural economy.

Western Organization of Resource Councils is a sevenstate network of grassroots community organizations working to shape energy policy and strengthen communities.

The work is continuing on the infrastructure construction in Minotʼs downtown area. This photo was taken Tuesday, April 19.

Downtown infratructure to continue this summer

By ANDREA JOHNSON

Staff Writer ajohnson@minotdailynews.com Work will continue this summer on infrastructure construction in downtown Minot.

This year crews will be working on the second phase of the $31 million project, which will be completed in three phases.

During this second phase of the three-year project, contractors will replace nearly a mile of water main, 3,100 feet of sanitary sewer and 3,600 feet of storm sewer pipes. The project will also connect more than 100 separate domestic water and sanitary sewer service lines, place concrete streets, curb and gutter, sidewalks, and install new street lighting, benches and trash receptacles within 14 city blocks of downtown Minot.

Strata, last year’s contractor, will be returning to finish the block of First Street Southeast between Central and First avenues that was not completed last year. That project should be done in June.

Southwest, two blocks of First Avenue Southwest on either side of Main, a block of First Street Southeast between Second and Third avenues and a partial block of Second Avenue Southeast between First and Second streets, set for July 16 completion.

Two blocks of Main Street from Second Avenue Southwest to Burdick Expressway and three blocks of Second Avenue Southwest from Broadway to First Street Southeast, set for Sept. 17 completion.

One block of First Avenue Southwest from Broadway to First Street and two separated blocks of First Street Southeast, between Burdick and Third Avenue and from Second to First avenues, set for Nov. 19 completion.

Eloise Ogden/MDN

Saturday, April 23, 2016

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Increased staffing and resources improves corrections facilities

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By ALLAN BLANKS

Staff Writer ablanks@minotdailynews.com In an effort to reduce crime, the Ward County Jail along with the North Dakota Youth Correctional Center, has increased the strength of its staff. By doing so, it is expanding rehabilitative resources to inmates for the purpose of preventing repeat offenses.

According to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, arrests for drug and narcotic violations in North Dakota are steadily climbing, especially since 2012, the height of the oil boom.

Among adults, arrests for drugs and narcotics has risen from 2,554 in 2012, to 3,605 in 2014. Another troubling statistic is the increased arrest of juveniles for drug and narcotic offenses. During 2012, 352 juveniles were arrested and throughout 2014, this number soared to 395.

When you combine drug and narcotic arrests between adults and juveniles, there is no denying the upward trend of substance abuse and criminal activity. In 2012, the total number of drug and narcotic arrest was 2,906, while in 2014 this number nearly doubled to 4,000.

In the fight against crime, size matters. Across North Dakota, correctional institutions are expanding their infrastructures and making upgrades to their buildings.

Aside from increasing the size of their facilities, institutions such as the Ward County Jail are gaining additional staff and retaining personnel.

“We’ve added more staff and we’ve accomplished our top goal, which is to keep our staff,” Ward County Jail Captain Paul Olthoff said. “In previous years, we had a high turnover rate and now that trend is slowing down a bit. I don’t know if that has something to do with the oil or not, but our staff is staying longer and that’s a big deal.”

At the Ward County Jail, employee morale has significantly improved, and Olthoff credits the additional staffing for creating safer conditions.

“We’ve made several changes to make conditions safer for everyone,” Olthoff said. “The presence of more officers brings increased safety.”

Contrary to years gone by, the Ward County Jail has seen an increased pool of applicants, which has strengthened its core of corrections officers.

“Two or three years ago, we would get four or five applicants,” Olthoff said. “This year we had about 21 applicants. There are more people who are learning and seeking a career in corrections.”

Another trend taking place involves the increase of corrections officers, and the decline of the inmate population.

“For many years, our jail was very busy and overcrowded,” Olthoff said. “Today, we’re no longer overcrowded, the morale of the employees is much better, and we’re building toward the future.”

Improved safety conditions, increased staffing, and the latest advancements in training has not only retained corrections officers, it’s attracting more applicants to the field.

“We provide in-services and try to send our corrections officers out

Allan Blanks/MDN

An officer at the Ward County Jail processes information. to gain additional training,” Olthoff said. “We’ve trained with police departments, and we’ve sent officers to Williston, Bismarck, and all the way to Grand Forks to receive training. This has been another significant change in the last few years. We’ve put more emphasis on getting officers out and not being stagnant.”

Stagnation is furthest from Ward County Jail and North Dakota Youth Correctional Center.

The quality of training, safety and resources continues to rise for both the employees as well as the inmates and youths.

“We’ve been in quite a transition,” said Jess Friesz, director of assessment at the North Dakota Youth Correctional Center in Mandan. “I’ve been here for 20 years, so I’ve been able to see the changes take place to the correctional culture. We’ve really introduced a more therapeutic kind of realm and service on this campus within the last few years.”

In recent years, rehabilitation of inmates and youths have become an increasing priority. With crime, addiction and substance abuse on the rise; correctional institutions are attempting to reduce crime by means of rehabilitation.

“Rehabilitation is at the heart of what we do,” Friesz said. “We bring in youth that are experiencing a lot of brokenness. Our system is designed to help the youth understand themselves in a very particular way, in terms of where their strengths are as well as their deficiencies. We look to align programming to fill some of their voids where those deficiencies are.

We have a model that does a whole lot of affirming of strengths that we see within youth, and we try to shape behaviors as much as

we can, to amplify the positive things that we see in the youths.”

Providing treatment to the youth is critical because they could be the next generation of oil field workers. If the addictions, gang activity, and substance abuse of today are not remedied, the crimes of today could persist into the future and possibly become worse.

“Prevention is very important,” said Dina Goodman, licensed addition counselor at Good man Additiction Services. “At a young age, it’s important to talk about behaviors and break the negative stigma of seeking help. Family members need to avoid enabling, especially when they see their kid drinking or engaging in risk taking behaviors at an early age. It’s important for families to allow natural consequences and practice accountability. At the teenage years, counseling can be very effective. A person doesn’t have to wait till full blown addiction has taken place to seek help. Seeking help should start when a person has discovered or learned about their addiction.”

Treatment programs, counseling services, and medical assistance are becoming more available inside correctional facilities.

“Trinity is here five days a week,” Olthoff said. “We also hired a medical officer who oversees all medical aspects with the inmates.”

The Ward County Jail provides Alcoholics Anonymous, counseling assistance, and works along side New Life Fellowship to offer Bible study as well as church services to inmates.

“We have Northcentral who see two to four inmates a week,” Olthoff said. “They provide counseling and medication to the inmates as needed.”

“I find that people who are experiencing treatment and recovery, are looked up to by others who are struggling to cope with their addictions,” Goodman said. “People who have taken the steps toward treatment and recovery are viewed as strong individuals for trying to live a life of sobriety.”

“The more programs you extend to the inmates, the better the inmates try to act in the cell blocks,” Olthoff said. “Programs and resources give an inmate something to look forward to, which in turn makes a better inmate.”

At the North Dakota Youth Correctional Center, therapeutic programs are designed to meet the specific needs of the youths.

“We’re implementing evidence based programs,” Friesz said. “Essentially, we’re interested in programs that have substantial research and evidence, that are accomplishing what they’re setting out to do.”

Reshaping behaviors starts with addressing the needs of each youth. Programs have been put in place to recognize cognitive, gender, trauma and a wide range of variables that impact rehabilitation.

“Phoenix New Freedom is one of our most recent programs,” Friesz said. “It’s a series of five different books that are cognitively based and provides social skills, motivational interviewing, and social learning concepts. In combination with the Phoenix New Freedom program, we’re using a One Circle Foundation program.

One Circle Foundation is also cognitively based and has two tracks, one for boys and another for girls.

The girls track is called the girls circle and the boys track is called

the boys counsel. This particular program is manualized and scripted out for facilitators to guide the youth through particular lessons. Both phoenix new freedom and one circle foundation are the cognitive programs that we use in our cottages.”

Cognitive programs address mental processes that relate to problem solving, perception, memory, and language use among other mental functions.

Another element that is recognized at the North Dakota Youth Correctional Center is the impact of traumatic experiences.

“There is a trauma informed element to the programs we provide,” Friesz said. “Trauma is recognized in the curriculum as the component that has played a part in our youth coming to us.

Some of the restructuring and reshaping is targeted towards some of the trauma they’ve experienced in their lives.”

Post traumatic stress disorder is common among youth as well as adults who are being treated inside correctional facilities.

“A couple of trauma based programs we’ve brought onto campus are structured psychotherapy for adolescents responding to chronic stress (SPARCS), and trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TFCBT),” Friesz said. “SPARCS is a group format where a case manager will deliver a manualized curriculum that has coping mechanisms to use in relation to the trauma, stressors, and anxiety experienced by youth. TFCBT is a one-to-one setting that is used to help youth that don’t do well in group settings or have experienced so much trauma, and really reSee JAIL — Page 13

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Jail

Continued from Page 12

quire one-to-one attention.

To help the youths cope with alcoholism, an innovative treatment program called cognitive behavioral intervention for substance abuse is provided.

Further assisting the youths, is a victim impact group and gang prevention program that are monitored and facilitated by professionals.

“We’re looking to help our youths become productive citizens,” Friesz said.

“We would like to see them become quality family members and lead productive lives.”

Aiding the youths are psychologist, psychiatrist, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

“There are two psychologists who are contracted here through the Sanford Hospital in Bismarck,” Friesz said. “One of the psychologists is here one day each week for eight hours, and we have eight hours a month with the other. Operating out of North Carolina

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An aerial view of the North Dakota Youth Correctional Center. is a psychiatrist who utilizes video conferencing on campus with our youth. We also have a psychiatric nurse practitioner on campus for 40 hours a week.”

On the campus of the North Dakota Youth Correctional Center, there are four living spaces for the youths.

“We have four cottages which are living units for the

youth,” Friesz said. “One is for females, two are for our male treatment youth, and we have one that is a maximum security unit, which does the intake work on the assessments that come on campus. We do a 21-day assessment on youth before they start their treatment programming.”

Inside the cottages, are a

Submitted Photo

staff of juvenile institutional resident specialist also known as JIRS. “The JIRS do the day-today work with the youth, in which monitoring takes place 24-7. They provide constant interaction with the youth, and ensure their safety as well.”

The next resource staff available to the youths’ are

juvenile correctional institutional case managers, referred to as JCICM. “The JCICM are professionals who have cases assigned to them, and act as advocates in terms of the programming and facilitation of our groups,” Friesz said.

The final resource staff available to the youths inside their living space is the program director, who oversees all activities and programs performed in the cottage.

When the youths are away from their cottages, they are earning an education on the NDYCC campus.

“We have a school on campus that consists of a teaching staff,” Friesz said.

“We have a hierarchy leading up to a principal and administration.”

Family involvement is important to the success of the youths, which is why the NDYCC has made an intense effort to collaborate with families to formulate a treatment plan.

“Within the 21-day assessment process, we have families that are interviewed as part of us putting treat-

ment plans together,” Friesz said. “Families have a very direct contribution to what some of the end results of the assessment are. At the end of our 21-day assessment, everything concludes with us inviting the families to campus, and sharing the findings with parents or custodians of the youth, and discussing plans.”

At the Ward County Jail, employees are optimistic about the profession they have chosen, and changes happening both inside as well as outside their facility.

“We’re looking forward to the completion of the new building,” Olthoff said.

“We’re also optimistic that we’re growing as an organization.”

Inside the North Dakota Correctional Center, staff members are pleased with their therapeutic approach, and have high expectations for their youths.

“We’re looking to build our youth up and make believers out of them,” Friesz said. “We want our youth to believe in themselves, and it’s our goal to help them on this journey.”

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LEFT: The race to provide permanent living quarters for Bakken oil field workers remains evident in Watford City where construction continues despite a downturn in oil field activity. Watford City has positioned itself as the epicenter of activity in the Bakken.

Watford City stays the course

By KIM FUNDINGSLAND

Staff Writer kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com WATFORD CITY – This community is well positioned for now and in the future, despite a sharp downturn in activity in the Bakken oil fields. The combination of McKenzie County remaining a center of oil activity in North Dakota, with Watford City at the heart, has greatly lessened the impact of general economic downturn throughout the western part of the state.

Watford City has emerged as a growing community of choice in the Bakken. The community boasts a modern day care facility, new high school, a major events center nearing completion, a new law enforcement facility and, soon, a new medical center. There are other projects too, all designed to make Watford City a better place to live and work and raise a family.

“We kind of took a shot at being the preferred community in the oil patch for workers to shoot for,” said Gene Veeder, executive director, McKenzie County Job Development Authority. “We have high-end day care, schooling, restaurants, quite a few new small businesses and other projects just waiting for areas to open up.”

Among the show pieces in Watford City is a new high school and events center. The high school was necessary to keep up with increased enrollment. The events center, situated adjacent to the high school, was designed to meet the needs of many in the region. It is truly a community endeavor.

“It has two ice sheets, gymnastics area, public pool, water slide, basketball and volleyball courts, lots of meetings rooms and conference space as well,” said Veeder. “Basically it is kind of all active community groups in one building. It’s pretty nice. It’s really something. I had a guy tell me that Denver has See WATFORD — Page 15

BELOW: Work continues on apartment construction in Watford City even as housing and rental prices have begun to come down.

Photos by Kim Fundingsland/MDN

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nothing like it.”

While Watford City’s improvements are certainly beneficial to residents, Veeder says they also have been built to attract people making a decision on where to live. It is what Veeder refers to as “staying the course.”

“You can’t be reactive all the time. It’s pretty easy to make decisions on the short term but you have to keep your eye on the ball for long-term planning,” explained Veeder.

A new veterinary clinic is in place. Major oil companies Whiting and Conoco-Phillips have built headquarters in Watford City. Other major names in the oil field business remain in Watford City too, evidence they remain hopeful that the current downturn will reverse course and that they will be perfectly positioned to take advantage of when it occurs.

The rental price for apartments in Watford City has been on the decline as more and more units are completed. Monthly rents have dropped from $3,000 or more per month to the $1,200 to $1,500 range. Construction continues too as builders finish up projects that were in place prior to the downturn in the Bakken.

“We’re still playing catch up with single family housing. It’s staying quieter here but we’re surprisingly busier than what most of us thought,” remarked Veeder.

“Some of the bigger projects here are large investor groups out of the area that don’t need their money today. There’s also of number of projects put on hold, as they should have been.”

In regard to oil companies Veeder said, “Nobody has pulled up stakes yet. The production side is staying fairly busy.”

Kim Fundingsland/MDN

One of the newest building additions to Watford City is this recently completed four-story office complex on Main Street.

It was conceived and built by a New York investment team.

Some major projects in Watford City that have been slowed by the downturn in oil field activity include airport improvements and an expansion of the golf course from nines holes to 18. However, a new receiving station was constructed at Watford City’s airport and land has already been designated for golf course development.

An indicator of what has been happening economically in Wat-

ford City is the amount of sales tax collected recently. Veeder says sales tax collections have dropped by about 50 percent. The result has been less money to distribute for improvements.

“It’s still far beyond anything we saw six or seven years ago,” remarked Veeder. “We’re still fine but have had to draw our wings in a little bit to cover the obligations that we have out there.”

Veeder pointed out that of the 37 drilling rigs the state reported to be active in March, 20 of them were located in McKenzie County.

Additionally, enrollment in Watford City schools has held steady, another indicator that the community has been less effected by the downturn in the Bakken than might be expected.

An area of concern, noted Veeder, was the occupancy rate at

Watford City’s motels and hotels.

When the Bakken boom began the community had only three places to stay with a limited number of rooms. Today Watford City boasts eight hotels and hundreds of rooms. Fewer people in the Bakken means fewer people needing hotel rooms, a situation felt throughout western North Dakota.

“They’re feeling the pinch here too,” concluded Veeder.

Exciting expansion coming to Watford City Airport

By ALLAN BLANKS

Staff Writer ablanks@minotdailynews.com Pilots, passengers, and local businesses are buzzing about the exciting changes coming to the Watford City Municipal Airport.

“This summer, we’re planning to build a new aviation terminal at our airport,”Watford City Municipal Airport Manager Luke Taylor said. “It’s going to be a nice, new facility for the general public to use, and we’ve also been working on expanding the runway capacity as well.

This particular project is a little further out, but we’re working to finalize our airport master plan, which will include a 5,600- foot runway.

In the future, with the addition of the expanded runway, the Watford City airport will be able to support more airplanes, which will match the activity and demands of the public. We’re looking to accommodate more traffic, more activity, and more people.”

Since the oil boom, businesses have benefited from the convenience of the Watford City Municipal Airport.

“We’re seeing a lot more business activity,” Taylor said. “Today, we have corporate jets that come in, as a lot of people are doing business in Watford City. We’re also seeing increased charter activity because people are flying in and out to work in the oil fields.”

Aside from businesses, local hospitals have utilized the airport as well.

“Air medical services has increased,” Taylor said.

“There’s a lot of activity going on, and with that comes an increase in traffic and workrelated accidents. Lately, things have slowed down a little bit. Our airport has allowed local hospitals to fly in doctors and physicians.”

While it’s true that many changes are coming to the Watford City Municipal Airport, two things remain for certain – quality care and professional service.

“It’s a very friendly and inviting atmosphere,” Taylor said. “The airport can be quiet at times, but if you run into a Watford City pilot, you’re sure to have a nice conversation. The pilots love

“This summer, we’re planning to build a new aviation terminal at our airport.

It’s going to be a nice new facility for the general public to use, and we’ve also been working on expanding the runway capacity as well.”

—Luke Taylor, Watford City Municipal Airport manager

what they do, and enjoy talking about flying.”

The Watford City Municipal Airport’s runway can meet the needs of an array of aircraft.

“When somebody flies into Watford City, we offer a 4,400-foot runway, which can accommodate many types of aircraft such as single-engines, multi-engines, turboprops and small jet aircraft,” Taylor said.

To further accommodate aircraft, the Watford City Municipal Airport provides a paved runway and spacious parking.

“Today, the airport is significantly busier,” Taylor said. “Due to the increased demand at the airport, we’ve replaced our entire ramp and enlarged the area. We’ve also built two taxi lanes for continued hangar development.

In fact, during the last three years there’s been eight new privately owned hangars built.”

Paved runways and large ramps are just two of the major conveniences provided by the Watford City Municipal Airport. Before you make your way inside the terminal, you can’t miss the hangars.

“We have transient hanger space available on the field,” Taylor said. “So, if a storm is

coming in and you need to get your airplane undercover, you can use one of our hangers to get your airplane out of the weather.”

With your plane parked and tied down, you can visit the terminal to relax in the lounge or plan your next flight.

“We have a general aviation terminal,” Taylor said.

“Pilots and passengers can go inside our terminal, which has a computer for flight planning, a TV and a lounge area.”

After you have visited the terminal, if there is a place you need to be, a courtesy car can be provided to you.

“Courtesy cars are provided at our airport,” Taylor said. “So, if somebody flies in and needs to go somewhere for parts, maybe attend a meeting, or grab some lunch, we have cars that they can use.”

The Watford City Municipal Airport also provides refueling.

“We provide self-serve fuel, which allows you to come in and fill up your plane,” Taylor said. “We have jet fuel and 100 low-lead gasoline, that is competitively priced to attract more traffic.”

As long as Taylor can remember, he has always had ties to the Watford City Municipal Airport.

“I grew up around this airport,” Taylor said. “My dad owned Taylor Ag Services and we had an aerial spraying operation based on the airport. More recently, I’ve served several years on the board, before taking the airport manager position last fall.”

Growing up, Taylor was influenced by a long line of pilots.

“I really enjoy flying and I’m a third generation pilot,” Taylor said. “My grandfather flew airplanes in the Navy.

When my dad was growing up, he started flying planes at a young age and so did I. I really love to fly, and as soon as I started taking lessons, I knew wanted to be a pilot.”

Taylor’s love for aviation is undeniable, and he strives to share the joy of flying with everyone he meets.

“I have a passion for aviation,” Taylor said. “I’m passionate about promoting

aviation, I try to get reach those who have a desire to fly because it’s a fantastic way to travel, and it’s a lot of fun to do. Not everybody can do this nor does everybody want

to, but I really enjoy it.”

Exciting and exhilarating, Taylor enjoys life as a pilot and has high hopes that aviation at the Watford City Municipal Airport will continue

to thrive.

“These days, more and more people want to learn how to fly,” Taylor said.

“There seems to be an increased appetite for aviation.”

Page 16

Minot Daily News PROGRESS

Oil Impact

Saturday, April 23, 2016