The Black Gold Rush --- Bakken Oil Boom in North Dakota

 Bakken Shale Oil Fields in North Dakota. Where there is a job to be had for anyone who wants one. We heard there is 30 years of oil in the ground. This is being compared to the Gold Rush of the 1800's.

Just think about the services needed to support this sudden influx of thousand of people and equipment needed to facilitate this Oil Boom. Waste management services, living space and accommodations, food products, showers, laundry services, staffing, special equipment and clothing. Police, medical and fire. Just to name some of the challenges faced by the cities,counties and state governments.

This is a sight seen all along our travels up around the Williston, New Town and the Watford City North Dakota  area. 

Thousands of acres of rolling plains of corn and hay,  flax and wheat and sunflower fields and right in the middle of  the crop land sits new oil pipes jutting out of the ground, groupings of  new tanks, Oil drilling rigs and pumpjacks. 
New roads are being constructed to access potential drilling sites. Existing roads widened and renovated. 
There is a steady stream of semi-trucks on the highways transporting oil, gas, heavy equipment, water, chemicals,food and whatever else is needed to support this oil boom.

Pumping Black Gold

Gas Flaring in the Bakken Oil Fields of North Dakota. 
The deliberate burning off of natural gas due to the lack of gas pipeline and processing facilities in the area.

 Drill Rig set up. We heard it takes 30 days to set up and 30 days to take it down.

Sitting in the middle of the hay fields of NOW very rich  farmers. 

 They call them Roughnecks due to the hard manual labor and the dangerous  working conditions.

 Man Camp in New Town ND. Set up to accommodate the huge influx of oil field workers and all their equipment. Completely self contained with Row housing,cafeteria, laundry and exercise/Rec. rooms.  In the background is the row after row of lodging.  .
RV parking is randomly scattered about farm land and in the yards of farmers houses. 
New Apartment houses and hotels are being built. Also  Pre-fab housing and Climate Controlled RV parking.
 Keep in mind that the winter temperatures  here in North Dakota drop to 30 below zero. Hardly suitable for RV living with exposed plumbing and little insulation.