Oil in North Dakota

Marathon executives and the Petroleum Council had a fantastic reception in Fargo from community leaders and the local media last week. Below is an Editorial run by the Fargo Forum.





Forum editorial: Marathon is serious about North Dakota



Published February 02, 2010

By: Forum Editorial Board, INFORUM



A few days ago executives of Marathon Oil Corp. of Houston and representatives of the North Dakota oil industry spent a couple of days in Fargo talking about the industry. In addition to making the rounds of radio programs and a visit with The Forum’s Editorial Board, the delegation conducted an extraordinary, free-wheeling discussion with community leaders at a private dinner.



We say “extraordinary” because it’s rare (if it’s ever happened at all in Fargo) for execs of a major worldwide oil company that is doing business in North Dakota to sit down and discuss candidly the status of their company and the oil industry in general.



It was an eye-opening, educational session. The information was especially compelling because it came directly from oil men who are investing billions of dollars in North Dakota’s Bakken Formation, a deep layer of oil-bearing rock that is believed to be one of the potentially richest finds in North America.



Nearly every North Dakotan knows about the state’s oil patch. In the past few years exploration and drilling have escalated. North Dakota oil production now ranks fourth among the states, up from seventh only a few years ago. The Marathon executives did not bat an eye when they said they expected production to continue to rise, slowed only by the social and industrial infrastructure’s capacity to keep up.



The meeting in Fargo was important for several reasons.



To continue with this story, please click on http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/267765/.









North Dakota Petroleum Council

PO Box 1395

Bismarck ND 58502

701.223.6380

701.222.0006 fax

www.ndoil.org

ndpc@ndoil.org