Editor's Blog

Refine It Where You Find It

2012-02-22T16:19:21+00:00

MDU Resources Group Inc. and Calumet Refining LLC on Tuesday announced the companies will partner to consider building a 20,000 barrel per day diesel refinery in southwestern North Dakota. The refinery would process Bakken crude and market fuel to industrial and agricultural clients in the region.

“We believe this joint venture will add value to Bakken crude. It will provide value to southwestern North Dakota communities by providing steady, good-paying, long-term jobs and through the two companies’ longstanding commitment to the communities in which they operate and serve,” Terry D. Hildestad, president and CEO of MDU Resources said in the release.

For more information, check out the complete press release:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120221007016/en/MDU-Resources-Group-Affiliates-Calumet-Specialty-Products

If you have a comment, question or suggestion for a future blog post, please let me know by email at editor@gomcmag.com.

Industry Salary Study Shows Optimistic Outlook

2012-02-08T15:52:21+00:00

The 2012 salary guide from Hays Oil & Gas and Oil and Gas Job Search shows “an industry generally brimming with confidence despite widespread concerns over the global economy,’’ a press release stated today. According to the survey of 14,000 respondents, 26.7 percent of employers in the oil and gas industry are “extremely positive’’ about the current market, up from 9.7 percent in 2011. Some three-fourths of all employers surveyed expect to hire workers over the next 12 months. From the release:

Matt Underhill, Managing Director of Hays Oil & Gas comments: “This level of confidence has far surpassed that which we have seen over the last few years, and contrasts significantly with the wider economic outlook. With confidence comes salary increases and this is reflected with an increase in the average worldwide salary for professionals and skilled employees in the industry to $80,458 per annum, up 6.1 percent in the past 12 months.

Duncan Freer, Managing Director of Oil and Gas Job Search, comments further: “The oil and gas industry is certainly in good shape and this is coming through loud and clear in our data. There has been a distinct move to employ permanent staff rather than contractors for many oil companies, demonstrating a confidence amongst employers in hiring new staff to cover future workloads. This is not to say that contractor demand is falling, with a multitude of new projects coming on line through the year, rates in this sector of the industry are still rising. “

To learn more, go to www.oilandgasjobsearch.com.

If you have a comment, question or suggestion for a future blog post, please let me know by email at editor@gomcmag.com.

North Dakota Company Addresses Oil Patch Wastewater Treatment

2012-01-16T20:55:21+00:00

Stanley, N.D.-based Mon-Dak Water and Septic Services, a contractor featured in the December 2011 issue of Gas Oil & Mining Contractor, is making headlines this week by proposing to build the first stand-alone lagoon system to treat wastewater resulting from the growing Bakken oil sands industry.

Mon-Dak and its owners, father-and-son team Curt and Beau Vachal, were featured in GOMC for their septic service work in North Dakota. Read the story here:

http://www.gomcmag.com/editorial/2011/12/been_there_done_that

And now the Vachals are making headlines in the Bismarck Tribune for a plan to solve the problem of treating an estimated 500,000 gallons of waste produced daily by thousands of workers on oilrigs across the state. Read the story here:

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/solving-the-oil-patch-waste-problem/article_7d3ff38e-3e4a-11e1-bf4a-001871e3ce6c.html

The Vachals’ initial plan, which has received local zoning approval, would include building a lagoon with a 10-million-gallon capacity in Mountrail County. They then hope to expand further into oil country with three more lagoons. They say the lagoons are needed as municipal treatment facilities can’t handle growing wastewater flow.

If you have a comment, question or suggestion for a future blog post, please let me know by email at editor@gomcmag.com.

Check out the Target Logistics cribs

2012-01-06T22:44:16+00:00

Life working on the Bakken Formation oil fields in North Dakota can be pretty brutal this time of year. It’s cold. It’s windy. Mother Nature is relentless. But at least some of the rig workers can count on pretty comfortable digs to return to when those long shifts end. That’s because Target Logistics is on the job. The site services company is building worker camps throughout the state – and the accommodations are compared to university housing with housekeeping service and some good eats.

Click on our Contractor Profile about Target Logistics right here

http://www.gomcmag.com/editorial/2012/01/home_on_the_range

Rather than the old term, “man camps,’’ Target CEO Brian Lash likes to call his company’s housing and food service “lodges,’’ and he explains why in the story. He believes a cozy place to sleep and recreate and high-quality meals around the clock translate into happy, productive workers. Read on to see how the Target staff meets those goals.

If you have a comment, question or suggestion for a future blog post, please let me know by email at editor@gomcmag.com.

Holiday Greetings!

2011-12-23T19:29:11+00:00

Life has been hectic for support service contractors lending a hand all year in the gas, oil and mining sectors. Your efforts have helped create a feeling of optimism that we’re discovering domestic energy and natural resources aplenty. It’s been a year of hard and fruitful labor, but now it’s time to pause and enjoy time with friends and family.

Here’s wishing you and your crews a relaxing and meaningful holiday season! We’ll be talking to you again in 2012.

If you have a comment, question or suggestion for a future blog post, please let me know by email at editor@gomcmag.com.

A Year in the Books

2011-12-12T18:11:52+00:00

In my Editor’s Notebook column in the December issue of GOMC, I recapped the first 12 issues of the magazine and asked readers to react to what they’ve seen during our first year of publication. I also asked readers to participate with story ideas for 2012.

One thing has become abundantly clear to me when reaching out to support services contractors in the gas, oil and mining sectors. You’re all extremely busy serving the needs of your customers. The growth and technological advances in these industries has been breathtaking and exciting. I can say with confidence that these sectors have enjoyed more dynamic change over the past year than just about any other.

I know you all have a full plate right now, and the stakes to providing quality and prompt service for your customers have never been higher. So I truly value when you take a moment from your busy day to respond to something you see in GOMC. Your concern about industry issues, contracting best practices or anything else discussed in the magazine shows a desire for greater professionalism. You want GOM contractors to be perceived as always advancing and keeping the best interests of your customers in mind.

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to look at my December column here: http://www.gomcmag.com/editorial/2011/12/youre_no._1. If you have any reaction, or want to suggest a story for 2012, please let me know by email at editor@gomcmag.com.

Enjoy Turkey Day, Wherever You Are

2011-11-22T22:29:06+00:00

We know working as a support services contractor for the gas, oil and mining sectors means being on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So you might not be able to sit down with friends and family for a big Thanksgiving dinner this year. You might be at a remote drilling rig helping energy companies keep the oil flowing. Or you might be serving a worker camp on the North Slope of Alaska.

But wherever you are on Thursday, I hope you can take some time to enjoy a good meal and look back on the productive year you’ve enjoyed serving these dynamic and innovative industries. In a challenging economy, it’s been great to talk to so many support contractors who have been busy all year on important jobs in the field. If your business has prospered in 2011, congratulations and well done. And here’s hoping for an even better 2012.

Marcellus Play Jumpstarts Bishop’s Full-Time Portables

2011-11-07T15:04:28+00:00

Demand for Steve Bishop’s portable sanitation services in Ulster, Pa., has mushroomed along with the Marcellus Shale natural gas play. You can learn all about Bishop and his diverse family business in our November Contractor Profile store in GOMC.

While he’s not complaining about a dramatic spike in business, the unexpectedly rapid growth has spawned a host of challenges for the owner of Bishop’s Full-Time Portables. “At times, it’s hard to keep up,” Bishop tells writer Ken Wysocky. “You think you’re caught up, and then something happens and you’re right back behind again. But that’s business. It’s all a great opportunity.”

Bishop runs a local hardware store in his hometown, Bishop’s True Value Plus Mini Mart. He also maintains 450 portable restrooms, 20 restroom trailers and 10 related service vehicles to keep pace with demand. Much of the company’s restroom inventory supports crews at construction sites for drilling pads and pipelines. The rest stands at construction sites for things such as motels, mini-marts, restaurants and bars associated with the influx of gas rig workers.

In addition to the nuts and bolts of Bishop’s business, he shares his strategy for retaining good workers in a competitive hiring environment. This is news you can use if you find your company competing for and trying to hang onto the best employees.

RDO Equipment Plans Grand Opening of Minnesota Store

2011-09-29T19:58:02+00:00

The RDO Equipment Co. Positioning Division, RDO Integrated Controls, which serves mining and other industries, is holding a grand opening of its Bloomington, Minn., store on Monday, Oct. 3, the company has announced. The event starts at 10:30 a.m. and the location is 9201 East Bloomington Freeway, Suite JJ.

“This is an exciting day for the RDO Integrated Controls division, our company, and the customers we serve in Minnesota,” Adam Gilbertson, RDO Integrated Controls general manager, said in a press release. “The opening of this new enhanced location will allow us to be more responsive to our customers’ emerging positioning needs.”

RDO Equipment Co. was founded in 1968, and is a family-owned and operated company supporting agriculture, construction, lawn and garden and Vermeer customers. The corporation’s headquarters are in Fargo, N.D. The company has 60 sales and service locations in nine U.S. states and employs over 1,500 people.

Check out our September Contractor Profile story

2011-09-06T16:56:10+00:00

In either the print or online versions of GOMC Magazine, take a look at our contractor profile story for September, on Canadian Shield Consultants Agency Inc.

Canadian Shield has made a name for itself providing onsite wastewater service to remote gas, oil and mining sites. Initially focusing on wastewater system design, the company has since expanded to offer turnkey service, including design, manufacture, installation and operation. “For years, mining camps popped up so quickly that there was no time to measure the impact of these new activities on the environment,’’ says president Gerry Dignard. “Our product is a response to the regulations that finally caught up with the activity.”

Take a look at let me know what you think of the story. And then think about whether you’d like to share your knowledge of the industry with others in a profile story. We’re always on the lookout for professional support services companies to feature on the cover of our magazine. .

Drop me an email here editor@gomcmag.com and I will call you to discuss including your success story in the pages of GOMC Magazine. Until then, have a great week!