Williston is the epicenter of the Bakken Shale, one of the largest fields for shale oil production using fracking technology (hydraulic fracturing, where oil wells are drilled and water and sand are injected into rock formations under high pressure to enable the oil to flow, often using horizontal as well as vertical drilling technology).
In the last ten years or so, fracking in the Bakken Shale and elsewhere has enabled the U.S. to become the world’s largest oil producer and significantly reduce our oil imports. It’s a remarkable story about innovative technological advances largely driven by entrepreneurs and smaller independent oil exploration and production companies. It’s been good for the national economy and certainly has been a boon for North Dakota’s economy and state tax revenues.
You also see signs of more traditional economic activity in the area, including grazing cattle and grain elevators. West of Williston it’s very scenic, with rolling hills, antelope and the Missouri River in the distance, all under clouds rolling across lots of sky.
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| Oil pumps near Williston, ND |
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| Amtrak station at Williston |
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| Grain elevators, Williston (looks sort of like an Edward Hopper painting) |
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| Oil train near Williston |
Very nice photographs.
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