Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its monthly jobs data. The energy industry has gotten used to seeing layoffs and downsizing among many key players. It doesn’t seem like all that long ago we were tallying the number of oil and gas job losses, which reached approximately 155,000 over the past two years. But November’s numbers showed ...

As we begin a new year, it’s prudent to look back and see what things have changed during the past year so we can look ahead with hope. The energy industry was full of change, as low oil prices, new regulations, increased renewable energy production, a new President, and new innovative processes all changed how the industry conducted business. However, ...

Protests against the Dakota Access pipeline have officially penetrated professional sports. A flag reading “Divest” and #noDAPL was hung across US Bank Stadium where the Minnesota Vikings played Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Protests against the controversial Dakota Access pipeline have been headlining North Dakota energy news for the past several months, gaining international attention. Those who protest against the pipeline claim ...

Looking back on 2016, there have been changes, both good and bad, for the energy industry. We’ve toughed out another year of roller-coaster oil and gas prices. We’ve seen prices near $25 per barrel back in May, with a steady, gradual increase in recent weeks. We’ve seen OPEC promise to cut production and President-elect Trump promise to bring back jobs ...

A pipeline spill last week in Billings County released around 4,200 barrels or 176,000 gallons of crude oil from the Belle Fourche Pipeline, approximately 16 miles northwest of Belfield.  Reuters reported that Bill Seuss, program manager for the North Dakota Department of Health, said approximately 3,100 barrels of the 4,200 spilled slid into Ash Coulee Creek, which feeds into the ...

Maybe it’s OPEC’s promise for production cuts, maybe it’s Donald Trump’s new staff appointments, or maybe there’s just some good vibes floating around in the air. No matter what the reason, cheers went up today when Baker Hughes released the weekly rig count, showing an increase of 27 rigs exploring for oil and natural gas this week. Even though the ...

Keeping your house warm while staying inside your budget isn’t always easy. As the cost of energy goes up with the impending recovery in the oil sector, commercial and residential power sources will follow suit, as they traditionally have in the past.  One way to keep your energy costs under control is to make sure your home is well equipped ...

Over the weekend, attention in the oil and gas industry was turned to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protest. Protesters celebrated a standoff near Cannonball that ultimately led to the announcement by the Army Corps of Engineers to deny the easement that would allow the almost complete pipeline to cross under Lake Oahe in North Dakota. Assistant Secretary of the ...

U.S. oil producers, especially in shale plays across the region, are likely crossing their fingers that OPEC’s commitment to cutting production will help oil prices to inch higher—and stay there. In the meantime, rig counts have inched up slightly. As reported by Baker Hughes, the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas went up a total of four ...

Amidst Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests, Keystone XL rises from the dead. Many didn’t think it would ever happen after a denial of necessary permits for its completion by President Obama and the State Department. The Keystone Pipeline System, commissioned in 2010, would run from the so-called “tar sands” in Alberta, through Montana (just west of the Bakken oil field) to ...