Minot Daily News SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2019
Energy/Technology
MinotDailyNews.com • Facebook • Twitter
“There’s a lot of talk about what wind energy has done for some of those rural counties.”
Investing in wind
Tammy Ibach, executive director, North Dakotans for Comprehensive Energy Solutions
Turbines associated with New Frontier Wind, south of Velva, came online in December 2018. Capital Power’s 99-megawatt project has 29 turbines. Submitted Photo
Wind blows economic benefits to rural ND By JILL SCHRAMM
Senior Staff Writer • jschramm@minotdailynews.com
The capacity for wind energy production in North Dakota reached about 3,153 megawatts at the end of 2018, and figures from the state Public Service Commission show that number could exceed 10,000 megawatts someday with the continued interest being shown in turbine technology. In comparison, the state supports 4,000 megawatts of lignite and other coal generation at seven plants. One megawatt hour can provide one hour of electricity to about 800 homes. Tammy Ibach, director for North Dakotans for Comprehensive Energy Solutions, said wind energy can be an economic driver for rural communities. The state now has about 1,600 turbines spread over 27 of the state’s 53 counties. In 2016, North Dakota State University calculated the economic impact of wind energy at that time to be $170 million. A 250-
megawatt wind farm over 25 years generates $28 million in tax revenue. “There’s a lot of talk about what wind energy has done for some of those rural counties,” Ibach said. Robert Harms, policy adviser for NDCES, said there’s been discussions during this past legislative session about how wind energy should be taxed by the state. In addition to that potential change, a production tax credit for wind energy will expire at the end of this year. Fifteen years ago, the wind industry would have said without hesita-
tion that its development depended on the federal tax credit, Harms said. Back then, they also would have expected about 30 percent efficiency from its turbines, he added. Today, they get 50 to 60 percent. “So the efficiency is almost doubled in the last decade in terms of wind farm design. The turbine efficiency and design and the design of the blades all have gotten better, more sophisticated,” Harms said. “They’re ready to do business without the fedSee WIND — Page 4
Looking back
Staging for the future
Wind blows supply chain company to Minot By JILL SCHRAMM
Senior Staff Writer • jschramm@minotdailynews.com A company that’s providing a staging ground for a future wind farm is adding value to the region’s energy industry. Watco Supply Chain has leased about 80 acres in Minot Area Development Corp.’s industrial park as a staging area for a northern North Dakota wind farm. Wind equipment components came in from Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Dakota, Canada and Mexico over nearly three months. For components arriving by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, cranes were used to offload the equipment, which will remain at the site until the wind farm company is ready to have the equipment See SUPPLY — Page 4
North Dakota’s come a long way in oil development
By ELOISE OGDEN
Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com North Dakota has come a long way in oil and gas development since nearly seven decades ago when the first oil well was drilled and completed in the Tioga area. Today, the state produces more than 1.3 million barrels of oil a day from more than 15,000 producing wells and and also produces more than 2.5 MCF a day of natural gas. “In 1951 the first well was drilled and completed in the Tioga area – the Iverson No. 1,” said Joel Brown, a petroleum engineer from Watford City. Brown and another petroleum engineer, Jeff Kummer, started their own business, McKenzie Minerals Management. “We have a long history of oil and gas in North Dakota – 70 years of oil and gas development in North Dakota – and we’ve experienced booms in the past,” Brown told members of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce’s Energy Committee during a presentation in October 2018. There is a long history of de-
velopment of oil and gas in North Dakota but Brown said “it all pales in comparison to what has happened over the past 10 years,” referring to the development in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations. “Nothing has even scratched the surface of what we’ve experienced in western North Dakota since the year 2008 really,” he said. Brown said most people think the Bakken started in North Dakota. “It actually See OIL — Page 2
ABOVE: Oil development in North Dakota not only impacts western North Dakota and the entire state of North Dakota “but ultimately, it’s relevent and impactful to the entire country. On a global level what we do here impacts the global market for oil,” said Joel Brown of McKenzie Minerals Management. Eloise Ogden/MDN
LEFT: Jeff Kummer, left, and Joel Brown, both petroleum engineers, started their own business, McKenzie Minerals Management, to help North Dakota mineral owners. Submitted Photo
Page 2
Oil
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Energy/Technology
Permian to the Bakken, but we just don’t have the workforce to meet the need. Wells being drilled in North Dakota today are by far the best wells that have ever been drilled here but without people to support accelerated development, we will remain flat at 60 rigs for the foreseeable future,” Brown said. The Permian Basin is the premier basin in Texas right now. “They’re running over 400 rigs right now and they’re running into a lot of issues,” he said.
Continued from Page 1
started in eastern Montana,” he said. He said in 2004 in the Elm Coulee area in eastern Montana the first horizontal Bakken well was being drilled in the Williston Basin. “As we continue up until the year 2006, we can see that there is a mini oil boom going on in this area,” he said, indicating a map showing the progress of oil development in the North Dakota oil patch. “At this point and time our fracking technology that we’re using to develop these wells – the horizontal drilling and really the completion technology being used to make these wells productive – is very rudimentary. It’s not anywhere close to really what we’re doing today,” he said. But in 2006, he said something really interesting happened. He said oil prices were climbing and development began in some other areas in North Dakota. One area in particular was in the Parshall area. “As we go from 2006 to 2007 and 2008, what you’ll notice is the development has almost completely shifted from Elm Coulee out in Montana to what is known as the Parshall and Sanish Fields out on the eastern reach of the Bakken. The geology in this area is substantially different than the geology out here,” he said, referring to the eastern Montana area. “We’re still using very rudimentary fracking techniques at this point and time to complete these wells but because the formation is naturally fractured in this area, the wells that are drilled out here are prolific. They make the wells that are drilled in eastern Montana look absolutely tiny,” Brown said. “This is really the beginning of the oil boom in North Dakota.” He said it was thought the western portion of the Bakken in Elm Coulee and the eastern portion of the Bakken in Parshall in Mountrail County would be the oil boom areas “and everything in between was no man’s land.” “But as we go from 2009 to 2010 we begin to see companies testing out McKenzie and Williams County areas,” Brown said. “As we continue up to 2013 (also when Brown graduated from the University of North Dakota) at this point and time we were fracking about 30 stages per well compared to the one stage per well that was happening back in 2008,” he said. By now, Brown said McKenzie and Williams County had become core Bakken acreage. He said they were as good as the wells in Elm Coulee and substantially better than wells in Mountrail County. “McKenzie and Williams Counties are actually making some of the very best wells in the Bakken, an area at one point and time was thought to be impossible,” he said. Starting at 2011, the oil price stayed at over $100 per barrel for about four years. “That was our average price from 2011 to 2014,” he said. But in 2015, he said that number dropped dramatically and by 2016 the price of oil reached as low as $26 a barrel. “We were having some really tough conversations at this point and
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Challenges
Submitted Graphic
time about what we were going to do after we can’t work in the oil field anymore,” he said. Not only did the price of oil drop, but the number of rigs working in the oil field dropped. In 2014, 190 rigs were actively working in the oil field. That number dropped to 91 and then to 35 in 2016, he said. In 2014, he said North Dakota produced 400 million barrels of oil, then 432 million barrels in 2015 and in 2016 that number dropped to 380 million barrels. “Ultimately, the point is that even though we are running fewer rigs, even though we are investing less, somehow we are keeping the amount of oil produced in the year in the state high or relatively the same for what it had been when we were running 190 rigs. The point is that during this time, especially 2016 and now we’ll get into 2017, we’ve seen some recovery – a little more development, rig count is up but another fundamental shift in fracking technology took place over that period of time,” he said. Brown said he believes the main reason companies actually began to develop in McKenzie and Williams Counties ahead of them being productive was the companies had leases in those areas. “We figured out that we could actually make some really good wells in those places,” he said. “Since the year 2001, we drilled 12,000 wells,” Brown said. Adding that number to the 3,300 wells drilled earlier, “we’ve got 15,000-some wells in the state of North Dakota right now,” Brown said. The estimate of how much the industry has spent just to drill and complete those 12,000 wells, not counting pipelines or operating costs, is about $90 billion since the year 2001, Brown said. At one time in McKenzie County, he said, oil companies were spending a billion dollars every six weeks to drill and complete wells. “And to think about that coming from a kid who graduated with a class of 50 students in a town of 1,200 where the primary industry was still farming and ranching. To think about a billion dollars every six weeks being spent in McKenzie County was unheard of but it’s the reality of where we’re at right now,” he said. “In that amount of time we’ve produced 3 billion barrels of oil and if we calculate out what that gross revenue
has been, looking at historical oil prices, we have $210 billion of revenue just in this portion of North Dakota since the year 2001,” he said. For mineral owners who live in the state, acknowledging some live out of the state as well, he said that equates to approximately $28 billion having been paid to largely farmers and ranchers living in western North Dakota. “We are living now in the No. 2 producing state and the No. 1 oil-producing country in the world,” Brown said. He said oil development in North Dakota not only impacts western North Dakota and the entire state of North Dakota “but ultimately, it’s relevent and impactful to the entire country. On a global level on what we do here impacts the global market for oil,” he said. Brown said two fundamental shifts took place during the 2015-2016 period when lower oil prices were being experienced and people were asking, “Is it dead out there? Is anything even happening out there anymore?” “Things did slow down but what happened were two things. First, we became a much leaner industry. Before it used to cost $9 1/2 million on average to drill and complete a well in 2013 at the height of the boom. Today we’re doing it for usually $6 1/2 million and in some areas of the basin as low as $5 million to drill and complete a well. It used to take a month or more to drill a well. Today a rig can drill a well in two weeks or less,” Brown said. He said the second fundamental change is how wells are completed. “We went from what had become the standard of 30 stages per well, most being above 50 and the highest I’ve heard is 86,” he said. “The fundamental change we’ve seen in fracking during this period of time has led to better wells,” he added. EUR stands for Estimated Ultimate Recovery, basically meaning how much a well will produce over its entire lifetime. “A well that produces a million barrels EUR, that’s a really good well and there’s a lot of them in the Basin right now,” Brown said. He said a well producing only 200,000 barrels of oil over its entire life is not a very good well. He said what they really want to measure is how much are these wells going to produce. “From 2008 up until 2014 or even 2015 that number stayed relatively
consistent – around 350,000 barrels of oil – but as fracking technology very quickly changed, as we were refining our techniques in that kind of down time of lower oil prices, we’ve seen that number now jump up to the average well in 2017 drilled had an EUR of 660,000 barrels,” Brown said. “That is an 83 percent jump in how good the average well in North Dakota is from the year 2014 to the year 2017, which is a pretty incredible change.”
Impact from economic standpoint
“It’s great to know that we’re making better wells, it’s great to know that we’re doing it for less money but ultimately what is going to be the driver of development in the basin, it is going to be what is the economic return on these wells,” Brown said. He explained the economic return on two hypothetical wells. The first one was drilled in 2013 with the average EUR of 360,000 barrels with $9 1/2 million spent to complete the well during the $100 per barrel oil at the time. He compared it to a well being drilled today with higher EUR and costs less money but oil is $70 a barrel. “So how does $70 per barrel compare to $100 per barrel back in the height of the boom when we were running 100 rigs?” he asked. He said the 2013 well is a good investment. “We can expect that well to pay out in about 2 1/2 years and ultimately, a 2.4 times return on our investment I believe over a 10-year period. But if you compare that now to the 2018 well we see the opportunity for investment in 2018 for operators in the Williston Basin is substantially better. We can expect that well to pay for itself in amount of money to drill and complete it in one year and we can expect over a 10-year period of four times return of investment,” he said. He said his calculations were based on information released recent months. “What does this mean for us? It means that really development of the Bakken Formation and Three Forks Formation in western North Dakota right now is even more justified than it was at the height of the boom in 2013 when we were running over 200 rigs. Today we’re running about 60 rigs,” he said at the October 2018 presentation. “My belief is that companies would like to shift some rigs from the
But Brown said there are two challenges being faced right now in North Dakota that are unique and need to be overcome in order for development to happen at the natural rate at which oil companies would like it. The first one is labor shortages. “In 2008 through 2013, North Dakota was a great option for people who didn’t live in this state to come here and actually make money because the rest of the economy was pretty depressed at the time. Today unemployment across the entire country is so low that we’re having a really hard time getting people to come up to North Dakota to work in the oil field for six-figure jobs which is an issue that we hadn’t run into (before). One of the primary issues with that being the availability of housing, and especially single-family housing which is a challenge for McKenzie County right now in particular and that we’re trying to address and how we can overcome that issue.” He said the second issue is a regulation on flaring that was not in place at the height of the boom. “Right now many of you may know when we produce oil from the Bakken we also produce with that natural gas. We produce about one unit of natural gas for every one unit of oil on average throughout the basin or approximately that. But that unit of oil is worth approximately $70 barrels of oil today or $60-some and that unit of gas is worth about $2. “But now we have a regulation in the state that says you are not allowed to flare that gas. We are only allowed to flare up to 15 percent changing to 12 percent of the gas in November (2018) and we’re already as an industry running into issues meeting those goals. The amount of infrastructure that needs to be put in place to take care of that gas, move it, process it, first off is very expensive. It’s actually not very economical really to build based on the price of gas and secondly, it takes a long time to get it there,” Brown said. As fast as the oil industry may want to ramp up development, he said they can only move as fast as their pipeliners will allow them. “We’re already beginning to see drill schedules now being dictated by the availability of gas take away in western North Dakota,” he said. “Ultimately, as an industry, as a resident, we want to come to a solution where we are able to make use of this gas. We don’t want to go back to flaring, we want to make use of it but it’s going to take some creative minds to figure out a way to actually have this as a win and not slow down development,” Brown said.
BERTHOLD Western Builders, Inc.
Kenmare-Berthold Jorgenson Insurance Agency, Inc. PO Box 727, Kenmare, ND 58746 • 701-385-4287
“Your Local Full Service Bank”
Grain Elevator & Farm Millwright Contractor
• Design Construction • Metal Fabrication • Repair
Berthold • 725-5068
FARMERS UNION OIL 28101 Hwy 2 West Berthold • 453-3481 Burlington • 852-5661 Donnybrook Gas Depot • 482-7718 Carpio • 468-5434 800-436-2120
Call for all grain marketing needs. #1 Main St. South • Berthold • 453-3431 Main Office • 1-800-568-6909 Carpio • 701-468-5423
www.bertholdfarmers.com
• Hotstuff Pizza • 24-hour cardtroll • Cattle Equipment • Giftware • Full Service Shop
On Farm Delivery... • Bulk Fuel & Gas • Propane
Not the same ding-dong
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Page 3
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Energy/Technology
“They have helped us in several cases. Digital evidence is more and more prevalent to our cases as technology advances.” – Capt. John Klug, Minot Police Department
Homeowners embrace smart doorbells By KIM FUNDINGSLAND
Staff Writer kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com Ringing the doorbell isn’t quite the same as it used to be. Neither is knocking on a door or even stepping onto the sidewalk of someone’s property. Why? An increasing number of homeowners today have discovered the advantages of installing “smart” doorbells, doorbells that record video and even have a “talk back” feature. Not only do owners of smart doorbells receive notification on their smart phones when a delivery is made, packages and such, but the video is recorded too. It’s not just neat technology that’s fun to own and show off, there’s a security aspect to it as well. Unwanted visitors, such as “porch pirates” stealing packages delivered to someone’s doorstep, are caught on video where they can usually be identified and later prosecuted. “Video doorbells have helped in several cases,” said Capt. John Klug, Minot Police. “It can help give us a suspect vehicle or person that may lead to an arrest, or at the very least, a place to start the investigation. Digital evidence is more and more prevalent to our cases as technology advances.” Most video doorbell cameras are high-definition and provide remarkably clear images. They usually give a
Kim Fundingsland/MDN
MAIN: Video doorbells are easily installed, usually in the same place as an existing doorbell. A wide angle camera provides an excellent view for homeowners to see and record anyone on their property.
wide-angle view that can include driveways, sidewalks, even streets in front of homes, in addition to the entry area of a home. Motion sensors let homeowners know when someone is at their door, via smart phone no matter if the homeowner is inside or far away from the residence. There’s a talk-back feature too. Using a smart phone, a homeowner can speak to a person who has approached their property and hear their response. The person does not know if the homeowner is speaking from inside the property or from a remote location. There are several types of video doorbells on the market. Prices start at less than $100. Some are designed to be easily installed using the same wiring as existing doorbells. Others run on a rechargeable battery that operates up to six months on a full charge. When a battery runs low on power a smart phone application alerts the homeowner that it is time for a re-charge. Many video doorbells contain infrared LEDs that allow for excellent recording of images in low light situations. Video stored on the “cloud” can be recalled and viewed at any time. Installation of video doorbells is easy and, according to manufacturers, can be done in as little as five minutes.
Submitted photo
A man approaches a front porch in this photograph taken by a doorbell camera and captured on a smart phone. Doorbell cameras alert homeowners to anyone who approaches their properties.
Buying or Selling Large or Small, Call me to help you with them all.
Holly Nelson 701-833-2185 Smarter. Bolder. Faster.
500 20th Ave SW | Minot, ND 58701 • 701-839-0021
Buying or Selling Large or Small, Call me to help you with them all.
Ashlee Kelleher
Tracy Dachs
701-290-7342
701-721-3372
ashlee.kelleher@yahoo.com
Century 21 Action Realtors Top Listing agent for 2018
2018 Quality Service Producer
Multi million dollar producer
Smarter. Bolder. Faster.
Smarter. Bolder. Faster.
500 20th Ave SW | Minot, ND 58701 • 701-839-0021
500 20th Ave SW | Minot, ND 58701 • 701-839-0021
TEAM GOLD
Team 2
Sheila Kubas
Shanel Effertz
Shopping for a Realtor? Choose
701-721-1900
Let the Power of 2 Work for You 701-833-9718
sheilakubas6874@gmail.com
shanel.team2@gmail.com
Dawn Rasmussen
Ashleigh Collins
701-833-1770 dawnloveshouses@gmail.com
500 20th Ave SW | Minot, ND 58701 • 701-839-0021
701-240-2608
ashleighcollins.realtor@gmail.com
500 20th Ave SW | Minot, ND 58701 • 701-839-0021
Page 4
Wind
Continued from Page 1
eral treasury supporting them.” The goal of NDCES is to help North Dakotans understand that the issue isn’t coal versus wind but how the state can use both to sell more electricity to the rest of the country, he said. North Dakota is an energy-exporting state, and impeding wind development only causes wind investments to move to other states, according to NDCES. “That wind investment is going to go to Iowa or Nebraska or South Dakota. We lose the investment here and it doesn’t do anything to protect our coal industry,” Harms said. NDCES also cites a Department of Energy study that determined the reliability of the electric grid isn’t threatened by wind, which is increasingly becoming part of the energy portfolio. In North Dakota, electricity generated from wind increased from nearly zero in 2003 to 21.5 percent in 2016, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Energy Administration. Northwestern and northcentral North Dakota are targeted for some of the wind energy growth expected in the future. Following are area projects in the planning stages.
Burke County Wind Energy Center
The Burke County Wind Energy Center received county permits, and the PSC held a public hearing March 8 on a siting permit. Work on the 200-megawatt project southwest of Bowbells is expected to start this year and take six to eight months to complete. The project includes 76 GE turbines over the 22,933 acres of the project. The wind center is ex-
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Energy/Technology pected to be operational in late November. “We have a lot a community support in the area,” said Conlan Kennedy, communication specialist with the developer, NextEra Energy Resources. “It will bring significant benefits to Burke County.” The $350 million investment into the project will generate about $28 million in tax revenue and pay out more than $34 million in landowner payments during its lifecycle. Construction will create about 250 jobs, with 12 full-time jobs once operational, according to NextEra. NextEra has a power purchasing agreement with Basin Electric for Burke County Wind’s supply. NextEra has been working in North Dakota for almost two decades, Kennedy said. It has invested $2.5 billion in the state and operates 14 projects. The PSC in February approved another NextEra project in Emmons and Logan counties.
Aurora Wind Project
Tradewind Energy has proposed a 300-megawatt wind farm, the Aurora Wind Project, about five miles northwest of Tioga. Located mostly in Williams and Mountrail counties, the wind farm consists of about 44,000 acres involving about 125 owners. Leasing is completed. The project will have up to 121 turbines. The project has received approval and necessary permits from Williams and Mountrail counties, according to the company. The last remaining permit for development is approval from the North Dakota Public Service Commission, which held a hearing Feb. 25. Construction is anticipated yet this year, with completion in late 2020.
Ruso Wind Partners Southern Power reports it is in the early stages of a lengthy process but is actively developing and marketing a site near Ruso, which would include the southeast corner of Ward County. The size of the project is about 35,000 acres. The company states it expects to erect up to 66 turbines and generate up to 205 megawatts. Construction is anticipated to begin as early as third quarter of 2019, and the commercial operation is expected to happen at the end of 2020. A series of public hearings have been scheduled.
Rolette Wind Project
Rolette Power Development is proposing a project covering more than 14,000 acres in Rolette County. The center of the footprint is about five miles south and three miles west of the city of Rolette. It is north of, but not contiguous with, the Iberdrola wind farm, north of Rugby. Within the footprint, the project is approved for up to 100.4 megawatts, or between 43 and 59 turbines, said local project spokesman Warren Enyart. Enyart said the project has the necessary permits and was completing the process of obtaining easements this spring. The issue holding up the project has been lack of a buyer, he said. Having a buyer would determine onto which grid to make application, whether the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator or Western Area Power Administration. Bringing wind power onto the grid is a complex engineering task with potential impacts on the larger system that would need to be mitigated, so even once a buyer is identified, it will take time for the grid entity to study the application, Enyart said.
Time is a concern because of the pending expiration of available tax credits, Enyart said. The tax credits affect the price of the electricity that Rolette Power Development can put on the market and thus its competitiveness in the market, he explained. Landowners are pleased with the project but also are concerned that it has languished this long, Enyart said. The project has been in planning six years. There has been an ongoing compilation and assessment of wind resource data since July 29, 2011. The project development company is a joint venture between MPower of Finley and Border Power. Each of the two owners is comprised of participating landowners within the respective footprints, local investors and their respective community economic development investors. The 45 landowners who had the authority and signed wind development easements for the Rolette Power Project footprint are shareholders in Border Power. Another company, EDF Renewable Energy, has shown interest in wind generation south of Minot but has not released any information regarding a potential project. The PSC lists proposed projects in Adams, Bowman, Logan, Oliver, McIntosh, Dickey, Emmons, Burleigh, Steele, Mercer, Morton, Stark, Barnes and Cass counties as well. The first permitted wind farm was the 2.6-megawatt Minot Wind Project, placed into service by Basin Electric Power Cooperative in January 2002. The project was expanded with another 4.5 megawatts in 2009. The most recent wind farm was the 99-megawatt New Frontier Project, placed in service by Capital Power Corp. of Edmonton, Alberta, last December in McHenry County, near Velva.
Supply
Continued from Page 1
moved to its site for installation, which could be eight months to a year, said Barth West, Watco vice president of operations. Some components too large for rail transport arrived by truck. Watco also has 25,000 to 30,000 square feet of indoor storage space in northwest Minot for more sensitive equipment, such as electrical components. During the height of the moving, there were as many as eight Watco team members and temporary help hired locally. “We currently have two full-time employees that stay up there with the project to just have presence there, and we also perform some maintenance on this equipment. A lot of these wind components, even though they are sitting in storage, they still have to be maintained,” West said. During its peak, the project brought members of the Watco team, truck drivers and others to Minot, where they booked hotels, ate in restaurants, purchased fuel and tools and contributed to the local economy. Watco also contracted with a local road and dirt work company to bolster the Minot yard to support the weight and traffic of this freight before it arrived. “I know the City of Minot and the region experienced a nice uptick in sales and tax revenue from this activity,” West said. Although Watco leased property for its laydown yard for this one project, there is potential for future contracts for additional staging and storage into the future, West said. The site could be used to assist additional wind farms or other types of companies that want to store product, he said. The company already has had inquiries. “You just never know. But we do know we have to be ready at a minute’s notice if called upon,” West said.
Class of
PARSHALL
Certified Public Accountant micorvik@restel.net
Open 8am-8pm Mon-Sat 17 Main Street Parshall, ND 58770 Phone: 862-3125 • Fax: 862-3406
New Town • Parshall • Ross • Keene (701) 627-3636 (701) 862-3113 1-866-862-6363 www.uqcoop.com
Live your best life with RTC.
z z z z z
Additional Disclosure:Fee-based investment advisory services are available through qualified investment advisor representatives only. Licensed L i c e ns e d a agent/producer gent /producer o off Thrivent Thrivent Financial, F inancial, marketing marketing name name for for Thrivent Thrivent FFinancial inancial for for L Lutherans. uther ans. Registered Registered representative r ep r es e n t a t i ve o off Thrivent Thrivent In Investment vestment Management, Management, Inc. Inc. Thrivent.com/disclosures. Thrivent.com/disclosures.
14 N. Main St. P.O. Box 40 Parshall, ND 58770 701-862-3349 701-862-3309 Fax
www.michaelorvikcpa.com
Internet Phone TV Business Services Camera Systems For more information, call (701) 862-3264 or email pbrostemuseum@hotmail.com
www.RTC.coop | 888.862.3115
CUSTOMIZED CU STOMIZED FFINANCIAL INANCIAL PLANNING PLANNING TAILORED T AILORED F FOR OR Y YO YOU OU
2010 4th Ave. NW Suite 101 Minot, ND 58703 701-852-8850 701-852-8851 Fax
K Kyle yle W Hanson H a n so n FFIC IC FFinancial inancial A Associate ssociate 1 109 09 M Main ai n S Stt S P PO O Box Box 856 8 56 Stanley, 58784 S tanley, ND ND 5 8784 70 701-628-2394 1 - 6 2 8 - 2 39 4
A Appleton, p p leto n, Wisconsin W is c o nsin • Minneapolis, Minn eap olis, Minnesota Minn esot a • T Thrivent.com h r i v e n t .c o m • 8 800-847-4836 0 0 - 8 47- 4 8 36
28971A 28971 A N9-16
Parshall Plant 743-4451 Garrison Store 337-5498
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Page 5
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Energy/Technology
CUSTOMIZED CUSTOMIZED FINANCIAL F INANCIAL PLANNING PLANNING TAILORED FOR YOU T AILORED F OR Y YO OU
K Kyle yle W Hanson H a n so n FIC F IC Financial Associate F inancial A ssociate 109 Main Stt S 1 09 M ai n S PO P O Box Box 856 8 56 Stanley, 58784 S tanley, ND ND 5 8784 701-628-2394 70 1 - 6 2 8 - 2 39 4
Additional Disclosure:Fee-based investment advisory services are available through qualified investment advisor representatives only. L i c e ns e d a gent /producer o Thrivent Financial, F inancial, marketing marketing name name Licensed agent/producer off Thrivent ffor or Thrivent T hr i vent F inancial for for L uther ans. Registered Registered rrepresentative epresent ative of of Financial Lutherans. Investment M Management, Inc. Thrivent.com/disclosures. T hrivent Investment anagement, In c. T hrivent.com/disclosures. Thrivent
Appleton, A p p leto n, Wisconsin W is c o nsin • Minneapolis, Minn eap olis, Minnesota Minn esot a • T Thrivent.com h r i v e n t .c o m • 8 800-847-4836 0 0 - 8 47- 4 8 3 6
Live your best life with RTC.
z z z z z
2 28971A 8971 A N9-16
Internet Phone TV Business Services Camera Systems
www.RTC.coop | 888.862.3115
JUNE 7TH, 2019 * 4PM - 7PM Exhibitor Entry fee will be matched by Reynolds Insurance Agency and all the funds will be donated towards Lakeside Community Living Center (LCLC) For more information call 701-627-4293 or visit: http://newtownchamber.org Pre Registration is required
Deadline June 3rd, 2019 Exhibitor - $25 per vehicle
Vendor - $25 per space
Class of
& % "$#& $ & & " %# %# & " % % & & & " % %
& $ & "
& & $# % & $% & & !& $!# & & & & & &
!!! %#% "$# $
North Shore Auto Parts
Lakeside Insurance Agency, Inc.
New Town Heart of Lake Sakakawea
Contact us for all your insurance needs! Located in the Cornerstone Bank Building
311 Main Street 627-4114
323 Main St., New Town, ND 58763
627 - 3320
CORNER LIQUOR
Off Sale Liquor Drive-Up Window Mon-Thurs 9am-11pm Fri & Sat 9am-midnight Sun noon-8pm
627-4448 • Main Street
’s k c e b Kenn
JACK &
New Town • Parshall • Ross • Keene (701) 627-3636 (701) 862-3113 1-866-862-6363 www.uqcoop.com
JILL
We hav eC Fried C hester hiken!
Full Line Groceries, Meat & Produce M-Sat 7am-9pm; Sun 9am-6pm
Main Street
Full Service Grocery New Town, ND 627-3415
Page 6
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Energy/Technology
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Submitted Photo
Reaching $1M Williston Basin API to celebrate fundraising milestone
WILLISTON – The Williston Basin API will celebrate a significant achievement this year. On Saturday, Sept. 7, the group will host a public celebration at Black Magic Harley Davidson to recognize API has donated $1 million in scholarships and grants during the past eight years, according to a news release. Williston Basin API President Ken Callahan said the celebration will feature a free meal, games and activities for kids and live entertainment. The API is close to its $1 million goal this spring and expects to hit it later this summer. “We crested over three-quarter of a million dollars in the spring of 2017 so that’s when we started tracking it,” said Callahan. “We are at about $960,000 and we believe we will top one million dollars yet this year.” The Williston API raises most of its funds through the chili cook-off in the winter and golf tournament in the summer. The group really started growing its fundraising efforts at the start of the Bakken shale oil boom. “When the boom came we ramped things up to show the community what we really are,” said Callahan. “We went from raising $40,000 to $50,000 per year to trying to raise more money because there were a lot more needs.” The API has been in the Williston area since 1980 but comprehensive fundraising records were not kept until the past eight years. The API provides educational
scholarships for local high school graduates, youth sporting organizations, cultural programs and much more. Board members say it’s important for the group to leave a legacy in their community. “I think it has really helped the face of the oil and gas industry connecting to the community, being a part of the community and supporting the community in various areas,” said Dewey Bailey, API board member. The Williston API also plays a key role in educating people about the oil and gas industry. “We bridge the gap between the public and the oil field,” said Brom Lutz, API board member. New and experienced oil and gas workers have found friendship and support from the Williston API. “I have been in the oil field all of my life and I really like the core values; educating, engaging and participating,” said Crysie Hendershott, API secretary. “I believe the education part of it is a big thing so that the general public knows what is really going on and not just what you hear or read in the media.” Meanwhile, Kerri Espeland, API treasurer, sought the support of the API as a newcomer to the oil and gas industry. “When I moved my family here six years ago, I wanted to find an entity that offered networking and education so that I could better understand the community where I live and raise my children,” she said. For more details visit the API website at https://www.willistonapi.com/.
Heavy Duty Industrial Flatbed Trailers 12 K Axles, Beaver Tail, St Deck Deep Sale Prices in effect Call Bill 701-572-2267 Williston Saddlery HWY 2 West • Williston, ND
than a Great Deal! 300 11th St W, Williston, ND 701-572-2927
Visit our website to see parts promotions, service specials, equipment listings and events:
www.gooseneckimp.com Kenmare | Minot | Mohall | Stanley Velva | Rugby | Harvey | Williston | Beach Bowman | Elgin | Lemmon | Dickinson
DEEP DISCOUNTED PRICES Williston Saddlery HWY 2 West • Williston, ND
701-572-2267
Facebook: Williston saddlery
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Energy/Technology
Page 7
Helping fund the state ND’s oil & gas industry helps state coffers By ELOISE OGDEN
Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com The oil and gas industry in North Dakota has paid a total of more than $18 billion over the last 10 years in oil and gas severance taxes, says Rob Lindberg, Bismarck, director of Bakken Backers. “It doesn’t include income taxes of companies and employees have paid. It doesn’t include the sales tax that gets paid on every piece of pipe that gets put in the ground or casing that’s put down a hole,” he said. He said one new well is about $200,000 of sales taxes. “These are major numbers that really fund our state,” he said. Lindberg spoke at the March meeting of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce’s Energy Committee at Buffalo Wings & Rings. Bakken Backers, a coalition formed several years ago, is made up of businesses, leaders, workers and other individuals who support North Dakota’s oil and gas industry. 2018 was a record-setting year with oil production hitting 1.4 million barrels per day in December 2018, according to Lindberg. “It’s the highest we’ve ever hit,” he said. At the end of 2017, he said the 2018 was a state was at 1.2 million barrels of oil record-setting produced. year with oil He said natural production hitting gas production in 1.4 million barrels the state continues to grow. per day in “Each well is December 2018. about a $9 million investment in North – Rob Lindberg Dakota...” Lindberg Director, Bakken added. Backers Lindberg said people often forget the Bakken was really the first oil shale play that was economic and proven. He said what is done in the Bakken is applied at other oil shale plays in the country, including the Permian, an area he calls “our new richest cousin.” The Permian Basin is a large basin in southwestern United States. He said the Permian has gone from almost nothing in production to 4 million barrels a day. Lindberg said he expects there will be more major pipeline announcements in the coming 12 to 18 months. He said rail traffic has taken another life from the Bakken and is up somewhere around 30 percent of the total exports. What does the future hold? Lindberg said Continental Resources projections for North Dakota’s greatest number of wells is somewhere between 55,000 and 70,000 wells. Many new jobs will need to be filled in the state’s oil and gas industry. To fill those jobs, Lindberg urged the community leaders to share the good news of the area. He said testimony to legislators is important as well as getting involved locally including the local Chambers of Commerce, Bakken Backers, American Petroleum Institute (API) committees in North Dakota and the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Rob Lindberg
Submitted Photo
Kids learn valuable skills through Minot Robotics By ANDREA JOHNSON
Staff Writer ajohnson@minotdailynews.com Area kids are going Full Steam Ahead when it comes to robotics. Allison Auch, executive director of Full STEAM Ahead, which includes Minot Robotics, said a team of 9 to 14-yearolds from Bishop Ryan Catholic School will be headed to a national competition in Detroit, Mich., on April 27. The team, which is coached by Reuben Gates and Randy Brunner, will compete against teams from across the country in project, robot design, core values, and robot games. It is the first time that Minot Robotics has had a national winner. “Last year we had 14 different teams,” said Auch. Lego Robotics teams met in different places, including at the public library, at MSU, at schools or in private homes. “It’s a commit-ment,”said Auch. “They meet once a week from August to January.” At the start of the season, the teams receive a robotics kit. Auch said the competition takes place on a 4-foot by 8foot board. The robots, built from Legos, have 2 1/2 minutes to complete as many “missions” as they can. When they meet, kids
Submitted Photos
work on programming, building the robots, and going through the tasks the robots must perform. Auch said there are also points awarded for helping out another team during a competition. In addition, each team prepares a report based on an identified problem and solution. Last year the theme was astronauts who are in space for more than a year. The teams needed to identify a
problem that might be associated with that, such as psychoproblems, food social preferences or physical needs and arrive at a solution to those problems. Then they had to make a presentation to an interested party. Auch said Lego Robotics teams naturally wanted to present to someone associated with NASA, but any interested person in the community would do. Minot Robotics also offers
a robotics camp for interested kids, including one that was held in early April, and College for Kids will be offering a class in Lego Robotics. Auch said Minot Robotics will start to register teams for the 2019-2020 season beginning in July. People who are interested in coaching a team can contact Auch at steminot@gmail.com. More information on the camps and classes can be found at steamn.org.
Page 8
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Energy/Technology
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Emerging value-added products ND prime spot for developing, implementing new technologies with coal By ELOISE OGDEN
Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com North Dakota is a prime spot for developing and implementing new technologies with coal, such as capturing CO2 and utilizing CO2 for enhanced oil recovery, said Steve Van Dyke, vice presidentcommunications for the council in Bismarck. The Lignite EnHolmes ergy Council issued about 10 different reasons last year why North Dakota is this prime spot, Van Dyke said. “One of those 10 reasons was that we have the Energy Van Dyke & Environmental Research Center (EERC) in Grand Forks.” Van Dyke said. He said EERC has been been working with lignite for many years. Chad Wocken, EERC principal enWocken gineer, Fuels Group lead, is leading the study in looking at what lignite is currently used for and other ways it can be used. Noting there’s an 800-year supply of coal, Mike Holmes, vice president of Research and Development for the Lignite Energy Council in Bismarck, said, “We have plenty of lignite available so what else can we use it for in addition to the obvious one – making electricity?” A fairly high-level economic analysis has been put together by the Lignite Energy Council to discuss lignite coal’s value-added products from existing lignite power plants and emerging value-added opportunities. Currently, almost 80 percent of the lignite mined in the state is used for electrical generation, Wocken said. However, lignite is a raw material that is also used in many other products and research is being done to expand this suite of value-added products from lignite. According to Lignite Energy Council information: – 79 percent of lignite is used for electricity generation. – 13 percent of lignite is used for synthetic natural gas generation. – 7 percent of lignite is used for fertilizer products. – 1 percent of lignite is used for home heating and oil well drilling mud. Wocken said greater than 50 percent of the fertilizer used in North Dakota is actually produced in the state. He said the primary focus of the study was to look beyond electrical generation. Current value-added products being done at existing lignite power plants are, according to Lignite Energy Council information: – Fly ash concrete – Bottom ash – Heat for ethanol production – Dryfine beneficiated coal Fly ash is a particulate by-product of coal combustion. When used instead of cement, the fly ash makes the finish concrete stronger, more durable and easier to finish. Some producers are now replacing 30 percent or more of their cement with fly ash. Bottom ash is another by-product of coal combustion consisting of the heavier particles remaining after pulverized coal is combusted in a furnace. It can be used as an aggregate in road bases, pavement and cement and also an alternative to sand for roads in the winter. As coal is burned to produce electricity, a large amount of heat is generated that typically goes unused. Coal-fired power plants can use this heat. The Dakota Spirit ethanol plant at Spiritwood Station at Spiritwood is an example of this. Other uses of this heat resource include space heating, greenhouse agriculture and other industrial heating needs. DryFining is a patented technology for using process heat and mechanical separation to dry and refine lignite coal. Developed by Great River Energy with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, the technology has been in operation at Coal Creek Station near Underwood, since 2009 and improves the efficiency of power production while also reducing emissions. DryFine lignite produced at Coal Creek is also transported to the Spiritwood Station by rail car and provides the fuel for power production and process heat for the Dakota Spirit ethanol plant. The Great Plains Synfuels Plant at Beulah is the only commercial-scale coal gasification plant in the United States that manufactures natural gas. Coal gasification, simply said, is es-
Submitted Art
For Project Tundra, the North Dakota Industrial Commission has committed $15 million for a Front-End Engineering and Design Study if matching funds can be secured from the U.S. Department of Energy. The project involves technology similar to a smaller project on a Texas power plant, which is already capturing CO2. Under Project Tundra, the CO2 would be piped to western North Dakota and used for enhanced oil recovery.
Power Plants
– R.M. Heskett Station near Mandan – Coal Creek Station near Underwood – Milton R. Young Station near Center – Leland Olds Station near Stanton – Antelope Valley Station near Beulah – Coyote Station near Beulah – Lewis & Clark Station at Sidney, Mont.
Poly-generation Plants
Submitted Art
ND lignite industry employs 3,800 people By ELOISE OGDEN Regional Editor • eogden@minotdailynews.com
– Great Plains Synfuels Plant near Beulah – Spiritwood Station at Spiritwood
Did you know? – There are 3,800 people directly employed in the lignite coal industry in North Dakota. – Many of them work at the mines and the Great Plains Synfuels Plant near Beulah. “The mines typically have more employees than the power plants do,” said Steve Van Dyke, vice president-communications for the Lignite Energy Council in Bismarck. Van Dyke said the Coal Creek Station has 230 employees and the Falkirk Mine that surrounds it has 450 employees. The Coal Creek Station is located between Underwood and Washburn, and the Falkirk Mine is at Underwood. “That makes North Dakota unique in that our mines and the power plants are right next to each other,” Van Dyke said. He said coal for power plants in Minnesota is actually being mined in Montana and Wyoming and being shipped. Van Dyke said one of the reasons the Lignite Energy Council exists is they are similar to a chamber of commerce of their industry. He said 250-260 companies belong to the Lignite Energy Council. He said the council also hosts events including golf tournaments, motorcycle rides and sporting clay shoots.
The North Dakota lignite industry represents an $18 billion investment in mines and coal conversion facilities including power plants and the Great Plains Synfuels Plant. The industry produces enough electricity to provide more than 2 million customers in the Upper Midwest with affordable and reliable electricity.
Submitted Art
This graphic shows how the approximately 30 million tons of lignite mined annually is currently used. The majority – 80 percent – is used to generate electricity. The other 20 percent is largely the lignite coal sold to the Great Plains Synfuels Plant where the coal is changed into synthetic natural gas, various nitrogen-based fertilizers and various chemicals. CO2 is also extracted at the plant and sold to partially depleted oil fields in Canda for enhanced oil recovery. sentially coal combustion with insufficent oxygen to sustain a flame. The variety of value-added products emerging from North Dakota lignite, according to the Lignite Energy Council, include: – Synthetic graphite is used in a wide range of industrial applications, including electrodes, brake linings, foundry operations, lubricants, refractory agents and steel manufacture. Synthetic graphite is dominant in the manufacture of anodes for batteries. Other carbon-based products that could be manufactured from lignite include activated carbon, carbon fibers for lightweight materials, and carbon nanotubes which are being
studied for their unique properties and use in nano technology. Synthetic graphite (preferred in Li-ion battery manufacturing) currently sells for about $20,000 per ton which equates to a potential global market of $1.6 billion Lignite council officials said synthetic graphite is getting so much attention is because the demand for it is growing fairly substantially for lithium Li-on batteries. Some work has been done suggesting that synthetic graphite can be made out of lignite coal but there is a lot of development that needs to be done. Van Dyke added that North Dakota currently has 330 electrical vehicles.
“We’re at the tip of the iceberg,” he said. He said there’s also electric boats now so it’s not just electrical cars. – Leonardite is used as a soil conditioner in agriculture, as a stabilizer for ion-exchange resins in water treatment, in the remediation of polluted environments, and as an additive in drilling fluids in the oil and gas industry. – Rare-Earth Elements (REEs) are critical components in an array of consumer goods, energy system components and military defense applications. These rare earth metals and alloys that contain them are used in many devices that people use every day
Mines
– Beulah Mine near Beulah – Center Mine near Center – Falkirk Mine near Underwood – Freedom Mine near Beulah – Coyote Creek Mine near Beulah – Savage Mine near Savage, Mont. (The Lewis & Clark Station and Savage Mine are included because they are also lignitebased facilities. Other power plants in Montana use sub-bituminous coal.)
Research Facilities
–Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at University of North Dakota, Grand Forks – University of North Dakota – National Energy Center of Excellence at Bismarck State College, Bismarck
– Source: Lignite Energy Council
such as computer memory, DVDs, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, catalytic converters, magnets and fluorescent lighting, according to the Geology.com website. U.S. REEs usage also includes magnets for motors, disc drives, microphones and speakers; phosphors for medical imaging, lasers, and fiber optics; glasses, polishing and ceramics for polishing compounds, UV-resistant glass and X-ray imaging; metallurgical alloys for NiMH batteries, fuel cells and steel; catalysts (62 percent of highest percent of the U.S. use) for petroleum refining, catalytic converter, diesel additives, chemical processing and industrial pollution; and other uses include nuclear defense, water treatment, pigments and fertilizers, according to the Lignite Energy Council. New evidence indicates North Dakota lignite may have some of the highest concentrations of certain REEs in coal seams in the nation. Wocken said EERC has three studies going on in exploring the economics of REE extraction from coal. He also said North Dakota’s annual consumption of nitrogen-based fertilizer is about 750,000 tons every year and the Dakota Gasification Plant near Beulah makes about 400,000 tons a year. Development technologies are being pursued to reduce the cost and improve the energy efficiency of fertilizer production. A project to take advantage of the processed heat and CO2, funded by the North Dakota Industrial Commission, is being done. The project is examining the benefits of using low-grade heat and CO2 from a lignite-fired power plant and an ethanol production facility to support locally grown, fresh produce year-round. “It looks favorable,” Wocken said. “When it comes to lignite, North Dakota has what’s the second largest known reserve of lignite.” Australia has the largest reserve of lignite. “There’s plenty of coal in North Dakota, “Van Dyke added.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Page 9
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Energy/Technology
Technology advances lighting systems
Saving the bright way By KIM FUNDINGSLAND
“We replaced all our ceiling lights. They were old fluorescent bulbs. They are all LED now. The energy consumption is considerably less because of that.”
Staff Writer kfundingsland @minotdailynews.com Technological advances in lighting systems not only increases efficiency and saves money, but can also greatly enhance product appeal for customers when used in retail settings. Motion sensors and LED (light emitting diode) lighting are not entirely new offerings but they are increasing in popularity as the practicality of both becomes proven as more and more applications are discovered. Motion detector lights have become common for homeowners. While a few such residential lights can be used for convenience and safety, commercial applications are reaping benefits as well. A growing number of retail businesses have made the switch from conventional lighting to more modern systems. Among the businesses in Minot that benefit from the newer technology is Cash Wise Foods, which made the conversion from traditional overhead fluorescent lighting. “They were all fluorescent light bulbs but they’re all LED now,” said Justin Crocker, store director. “The lighting color is correct and the energy consumption is considerably less.” Furthermore, added Crocker, the overhead LED lighting operates on the same ballasts as were used for the old fluorescent bulbs. The new LED bulbs are 18 watt, as compared to the old 40 watt fluorescent bulbs. The new lighting system is brighter than when the store used fluorescent and saves money. The switch from fluorescent to LEDs has resulted in a 55 percent savings annually at Cash Wise Foods. There’s another benefit too, said Crocker. “LEDs enhance the color of our prod-
— Justin Crocker, Cash Wise Foods.
Photos by Kim Fundingsland/MDN
ABOVE: Modern LED lighting has replaced fluorescent bulbs at Cash Wise Foods. Not only do the LED lights improve the color of the lighting in the store but reduce energy costs by 55 percent. LEFT: The dairy coolers at Minot’s Cash Wise Foods are lit by modern LED lights that activate by motion sensors when customers approach. Here Justin Crocker, store director, arranges items in a very well lit cooler that both saves energy and promotes product appeal.
ucts and packaging. That’s a good point.” Another plus resulting from the change is reduced maintenance. The T8-style fluorescent bulbs needed replacing a minimum of every three years. The LED bulbs have a five-year warranty. Cash Wise Foods makes generous and effective use of motion sensor technology as well. Display cases, such as in their dairy section, turn off when not needed and light up brightly when customers approach. “It’s really a neat thing,” remarked Crocker. “I’ve never had a store that had those until I came to this company. It’s energy efficient, obviously, without having those lights on all the time. It helps out with the longevity of the bulbs too because they are not on all the time.” LED lights are used in display cases and coolers throughout Cash Wise. LED lights give off less heat than the older fluorescents, which reduces fog on cooler doors and results in less energy used by the refrigeration system. “The coolers are all electronic and computerized too,” explained Crocker. “Based on the conditions within the cooler and the ambient air temperatures in the store, it kicks compressors and fans on and off, whatever it needs to do to maximize the efficiency within those coolers.”
Providing affordable, reliable electric service since 1939 to help develop the Velva area. CRAIG MONUMENTS
Your Full Service Bank In Minot & Velva
Visit our website to see parts promotions, service specials, equipment listings and events:
www.gooseneckimp.com
FIFTH GENERATION MONUMENT BUILDER
100’S OF DESIGNS ON DISPLAY CUSTOM DESIGNS AVAILABLE IN MINUTES PLEASE CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT
• Checking • Savings • Loans
338-2463 OR • craigmonuments.com • VELVA , ND
405 37th Ave SW • Minot, ND • 701-852-0328 101 N Main St. • Velva, ND • 701-338-2821 www.psbvelva.com
Kenmare | Minot | Mohall | Stanley Velva | Rugby | Harvey | Williston | Beach Bowman | Elgin | Lemmon | Dickinson
Your One Stop Pharmacy, Gift Shop & More! 16 Main St. N, Velva ND 58790 Mon. - Sat. 9am - 6pm (701) 338-2911
Page 10
Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Energy/Technology
Saturday, April 27, 2019