Author: Jim Fuglie

I’m not sure how long Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem intended to keep his secret task force on “places not to put oil wells” a secret, but North Dakota is still a pretty small state, and the North Dakota Capitol is a relatively small building, and it’s pretty hard to keep anything that goes on there … Continue reading Of Lists And Secret Meetings

Some things to catch up on from earlier reports on goings-on in the oil patch: NATHAN GARBER AND HALEK OPERATING We reported a couple weeks ago on the case of Nathan Garber, the fellow who dumped 800,000 gallons of contaminated water down a well shaft out by Dickinson. The technical charge against him was “violation … Continue reading Oil Patch Justice

You haven’t read about this in the North Dakota newspapers, or seen it on the six o’clock news, but the Internet is full of the gaffe Congressman Kevin Cramer made when he stepped on his you-know-what by quoting a Bible verse to a constituent. It started with a note posted on Kevin’s Facebook page by … Continue reading Memo To Kevin Cramer: “I Hope You Don’t Consider Yourself A Christian.” And Other Mean Things People Are Saying

Okay, here’s a chance to own your very own oil well. Actually, four oil wells.  They’re very special oil wells. Oh, you’ll have to share them with others. From what I can tell, you’ll actually really own about 1/60th of these four wells. But hey, that’s something. Especially these oil wells. They’re special. Extra special. … Continue reading Harold Hamm’s Looking For A Partner. You In?

Halek Operating. Remember them? I wrote about them a couple times earlier this summer. Those stories are here and here. But let me just refresh your memory. That's quicker. Halek is the company, run by a fellow named Jason Halek, that was fined $1.5 million by the North Dakota Industrial Commission for illegally dumping 800,000 … Continue reading “Drill Some Really Awesome Wells”

Well, okay, now there’s a list. On paper. Well, at least on a computer screen. It’s a list that the North Dakota Industrial Commission is “considering for at least one Commission member to tour” as they look at protecting places that have particularly sensitive archeological, paleontological, historical, recreational or environmental characteristics. That’s a start. I wrote … Continue reading The Industrial Commission Has A List. What Next? How About A Breather?

LET IT BE     Monday night, with about 31,000 of my best friends, I saw Paul McCartney give the best concert I have ever seen in my life. I don’t say that casually, because I have seen a lot of concerts. A lot. I’ve seen Neil Young, many times, the Moody Blues even more. I’ve seen … Continue reading Things I’m Thankful For

Cancel The Industrial Commission Tour Bus After a couple of dustups over whether or not to grant oil and gas drilling permits on Killdeer Mountain and next door to the Elkhorn Ranch, the North Dakota Industrial Commission announced with great fanfare last Spring it would take a tour of oil country and begin making a … Continue reading Oil Patch Update. Careful, This Could Ruin Your Day.

North Dakota’s Department of Trust Lands has left the door open just a crack to an oil and gas company that wants to drill in the middle of a national wildlife refuge, but state and federal wildlife officials may be able to slam it shut before that happens. A few weeks ago I wrote here … Continue reading Wildlife Refuges Not Out Of The Woods yet

I just love it when I make a dire prediction, saying something bad is going to happen, and it turns out I am wrong. It’s happened twice this week, and I couldn’t be more pleased. First, I have been moping around the back yard for a month predicting we wouldn’t get a raspberry crop this … Continue reading Raspberries For Me, And A Raspberry For A Big Oil Company