How Natural Gas Is Keeping North Dakota's Manufacturing Competitive

The Bismarck Tribune is reporting:

Fracking and crude oil production have produced a spinoff story. 

Low-cost natural gas, a byproduct of oil production, has begun to benefit existing North Dakota businesses as an energy source. It’s also creating new businesses as companies and entrepreneurs look for value-added opportunities using natural gas.

The increased use of North Dakota natural gas in the state and region is important for another reason. Demand for natural gas helps drive the process of capturing natural gas at the wellhead and reducing the need for flaring.

The Tribune published a story Sunday on how natural gas is benefiting the state’s businesses and industries.

Guy Moos, president of Baker Boy, talked about using natural gas for the company’s ovens, including one that’s 65 feet long and 13 feet wide. That oven takes 3 million Btu to start and 1.3 million Btu to keep running. When it comes to controlling production costs at the big bakery, the price of natural gas is important.

And other companies like Bobcat and Steffes Corp. are taking advantage of the availability and price of natural gas for manufacturing.

Now, about those Baker boys! Check out their website.

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A Note To The Granddaughters

Earlier I mentioned that my bucket list included a visit to the Petersen Automotive Museum on Wilshire Drive in west Los Angels (Miracle Mile).

Today's article in the Los Angeles Time spurred me into going today. May stayed home; I was on my own.

I used my inexpensive "turn-by-turn-directions" app to get there:

Wow! What an incredible exhibit. I was simply overwhelmed. After about a half-hour I had to take a break; I went down for lunch at the adjoining/inside-the-museum Johnny Rocket's hamburger-restaurant.

The Times article said there were about 400 vehicles in the museum; they were planning to sell about a third of their automobiles.

I think I only saw about 100 cars, including one on loan from Jay Leno's collection. I did not go into the vault which would have cost another $25 --  the vault was open to the public for the first time ever; it will now be open indefinitely; I will go when I have someone to go with.

Photographs of Fred Astaire's 1927 Rolls-Royce:

Of the 150 cars I saw, I cannot imagine that I would want to see any of them sold. And I assume the vault had the multi-million-dollar race cars, collector-vintage-cars, the modern European roadsters, etc., -- and those are probably the ones being sold. There may also be ones not on display that were being sold.

Photograph of the "Sophia" and the description:

If they do it right, they could make it a nicer museum; it is in the best part of Los Angeles; across the street from Los Angeles County Museum of Art. They had a few motorcycles and the current owners want more motorcycles. I think for "average" museum goers, it won't matter; it was overwhelming for me. 150 cars and beautifully displayed; nice descriptions.

Perhaps for old-timers and car enthusiasts it will be very, very difficult, but if they use the money they raise to add to the collection and modernize the museum, it should be fine.

One problem with museums is that people don't go more than once or twice if the pieces are not updated. And the other problem with museums -- or any attraction in the Los Angeles area for that matter -- too many places competing for your attention.