If I recall correctly I was last in Williston back in February (2014). At the time, I was impressed; the Bakken keeps growing visually.
I arrived back in Williston this morning -- just minutes ago -- and I am more excited than any previous visit.
Mark Perry over at Carpe Diem has talked about "Saudi Dakota" for quite some time based on the volume of oil being produced by the Bakken (it now accounts for 12% of all US oil production). I never really saw "Saudi Dakota" until today. For the first time, I can say that in addition to the production numbers, the Williston area now looks like what I imagine a Saudi oil field would look like (without the sand -- I'm talking about the rigs, the flaring, the crude oil tanks, the storage areas, the support areas, the trucks, etc). It is absolutely incredible.
I hope to be here for 7 - 10 days. I will post photos / video while I'm here.
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Trip From Dallas to Williston
August 19 - August 21, 2014
For archival purposes only
Not for general readership
In other words, of no interest to anyone except me for archival purposes
I left Grapevine, TX, about 5:00 p.m. Tuesday evening and arrived in Williston, ND, at 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning, sleeping in the car along the way.
Nebraska continues to be the longest and most difficult stretch. The only "good" thing I can say about Nebraska is that it makes the Texas-Oklahoma-Kansas stretch seem short in comparison, and the South Dakota-North Dakota even shorter.
As usual I took I-35 from Dallas/Ft Worth area to Wichita, Kansas. I did not note anything new on this leg this trip.
Because I have to angle to the northwest somewhere between Wichita, KS, and the Black Hills (and southeast going back), my route varies a bit each time I visit the Bakken.
This time, I drove north to the Kansas-Nebraska state line, cut west just before entering Nebraska, and then drove up to/through Grand Island, and took Nebraska Highway 2 up to Chadron.
The route from Chadron to Williston varies little; generally, the only option is whether to meander through the Black Hills or go more directly to I-90 via Rapid City. This time I drove directly to Rapid City.
Observations:
1. I picked up Bakken-traffic earlier than ever before. My first such encounter was meeting up with a truck somewhere in Nebraska carrying pipeline for the oil and gas industry. I followed it into the Rapid City area; obviously heading north it's only destination could have been the Williston Basin.
2. From mid-Nebraska north, the grass was incredibly lush, tall, and green. I saw horses in shoulder-high (their shoulders) grass. I saw cows in similar fields and if lying down, the cows were hidden by the grass. I don't recall ever seeing so many calves. I assume it's the same every year; that it was simply the time I happened to be driving through. But where there were cows, the fields were filled with calves. Not yearlings, but calves.
3. There seemed to be an over-abundance of those huge round bales of hay. Certainly as much as I've ever seen, and I think farmers/ranchers might be able to get yet another cutting before the freeze.
4.
This was the most interesting "new" thing I saw on this trip: South Dakota Highway 79 is being completed at a four-lane divided highway from the Nebraska state line all the way to I-90. It appears this will be completed this construction season. I assume this is due to all the Rapid City traffic, particularly tourist traffic for the Black Hills. But one wonders how much of it was due to the oil activity in North Dakota. Obviously, plans to widen this 2-lane highway had to have been made years ago, but the Montana boom began in 2000 and the North Dakota boom began in 2007, so it's possible the Bakken had something to do with the plans to widen highway 79. If not, Mr Fortuitous and Ms Serendipity each played a part. The highway clearly connects the Bakken/Williston Basin with Wyoming/Colorado's DJ Basin; to some extent, it may help the Powder River Basin in southeastern Montana. But it probably had nothing to do with oil or coal; simply due to tourism.
5. Lots and lots of water. The Loup branches in Nebraska were practically overflowing their banks.
6. Rapid City was incredibly busy with tourists, I suppose. I had planned to spend the night in Rapid City but decided not to fight the tourists for booked rooms, and so continued driving.
7. I departed Rapid City by 6:00 p.m. and it looked like I had two hours of daylight. My father grew up on a farm just south of Newell, and I knew if I did not waste time, I would be able to still see the farm before it got dark. I exited I-90 at Sturgis. The signage for the annual Sturgis rally was up; the city looked in perfect shape; cleaned up.
The rally was held August 4 - 10 this year.
8. I got to Newell in plenty of time to see my grandparents farm. Very, very moving (emotionally) for me. I spent many wonderful summer vacations there, and I've heard my dad tell many stories of growing up on the farm. The farm was one mile south of the highway intersection that was two miles south of Newell. It's an important distinction because I recall my dad telling me his bicycle's tires would usually be flat after the first mile; he would leave the bike at the highway intersection, and pick it up on the way home. At some point, his mom gave him a horse that he rode back and forth to school.
9. I had dinner at the Blue Line Diner on the north side of town (Newell). The sign at the south end of town, said the diner would be found by taking a right at the stop sign. Yes, "the" stop sign. No traffic lights on highway 79 through Newell, just a single stop sign. My dad does not recall the Blue Line Diner in Newell which was located just a few blocks north of where his sister lived when she married, many years ago.
10. I continued through Buffalo, SD, and then to Bowman, and then to Belfield.
11. By the time I crossed the North Dakota state line, it was already well after dark. I was greeted by a well-lit oil rig in Bowman County, just to the east of Highway 85.
12. I arrived in Belfield about 10:30 p.m. I slept in the car until 3:00 a.m. and then went inside the truck stop, got a cup of coffee, and worked on the blog until just before 5:00 a.m. I then headed north to Williston.
13. As usual there was a lot of truck traffic and oil-related activity around Belfield, but ten miles north, it was not much different than past visits. There were some new oil services activities, but I didn't notice any drilling activity.
14. But it seemed there was more truck traffic this visit than before.
15. It was still dark when I drove past the north unit of the national park. I am pleased to say there was not one indication of any oil activity anywhere near the park. The park ranger who is spearheading the charge to keep the oil industry away from the park has been quite successful. There is nothing in the area to indicate any oil activity: no truck traffic; no lighted rigs; no flaring.
16. Five miles south of Watford City, everything changed. I was back in the Bakken.