Business & Economy – Page 9 – TheMinotVoice.com

An arcane American law protected by powerful interests is causing insane traffic jams

by: Josh Wolsky | August 7, 2017

What does a hundred-year-old law that forces goods transported between American ports to use American-made ships have to do with traffic and L.A. and possibly our economy in North Dakota? Erik Olson asks the question (about the Traffic in L.A. part) and provides the analysis of the trickle down regulatory effect and the unintended consequences. This

Read & Share sourced from: Quartz

EPA chief to discuss water regulations during visit to state

by: Josh Wolsky | August 4, 2017

Scott Pruitt, the EPA’s top administrator, will be visiting North Dakota next week, and the Waters of the U.S. rule making is expected to be a hot topic of conversation. Between agricultural and energy industries and our cultural disposition toward property rights, environmental regulations and rules have big impacts on North Dakota, and it sounds

Read & Share sourced from: Williston Herald

Survey suggests more growth ahead for Midwest economy

by: Josh Wolsky | August 1, 2017

A Creighton University economic indicator survey suggests the Midwest economy may be turning a corner. The Bismarck Tribune has the story.

Read & Share sourced from: Bismarck Tribune

Half of Well Productivity Gains May be Due to Core Acreage Drilling, Not Better Frac Designs

by: Josh Wolsky | July 26, 2017

There’s little doubt those operating in the Bakken have gotten more efficient in the past few years. The low prices have forced operators to get costs under control and the end result is an oil play that’s more economically resilient. But what about the wells, are we getting better at getting more oil out of

Read & Share sourced from: Oil and Gas 360

Claims that renewable energy threatens the stability of the US power grid is ludicrous

by: Josh Wolsky | July 25, 2017

A common argument heard in North Dakota is the need to maintain coal-fired power plants because of their ability to provide the basic baseline power needs of the electrical grid. That we would attach ourselves to arguments that defend an industry important to our state is not surprising; I would say it’s a natural reaction.

Read & Share sourced from: Quartz

Our economic future depends on storytellers

by: Josh Wolsky | July 21, 2017

Heard a good story lately? It’s kind of a trick question, because if you did, you may not even know it. Storytelling is a time-honored art form, but we’re just now discovering the relevance it has to what we think, who we trust, and how we act. And our ability to spin a yarn may

Read & Share sourced from: Quartz

A Toxic Legacy: North Dakota Looks To Clean Up Old Oilfield Waste

by: Josh Wolsky | July 18, 2017

One of the considerable by-products of oil production in North Dakota is the extremely salty wastewater we get back along with the oil. It’s not a new problem. And though modern practices inject wastewater deep underground, there are still a number of legacy era brine pits that continue to leach salt water contamination into nearby

Read & Share sourced from: Inside Energy

Tech workers brace for Seattle’s plan to ‘tax the rich’

by: Josh Wolsky | July 18, 2017

The City of Seattle is on a pathway toward attempting to solve their low-income housing and public transit challenges by implementing an income tax on individuals earning more than $250,000 per year and couples earning more than $500,000. It’s not the first policy initiative Seattle has undertaken to attempt to make the City more livable

Read & Share sourced from: NPR

Worker shortage slows Bakken oil drilling but production remains above 1M barrels per day

by: Josh Wolsky | July 17, 2017

The number of rigs active in North Dakota is holding steady the past few months and production is still above a million barrels per day, but there’s a worker shortage in the fracking industry that’s delaying completion of many already-drilled wells. There’s also some transition taking place in the amount of oil moved by rail

Read & Share sourced from: Bismarck Tribune

Saskatchewan Rig activity up slightly

by: Josh Wolsky | July 17, 2017

We’re used to seeing the U.S. rig count and the increases or decreases in North Dakota, but it’s easy to forget that the northern prairie oil play extends into Canada as well. That gives us a second indicator of optimism in the industry and compared to last year, the Canadians are optimistic about oil futures.

Read & Share sourced from: Estevan Mercury

First tech, now financing: U.S. shale firms get creative to pump more oil

by: Josh Wolsky | July 13, 2017

Necessity is the mother of invention, and we’ve experienced that first hand here in the North Dakota oil patch. The necessity was to survive an OPEC supply assault intended to force shale operators out of the market with lower prices. The invention was better, more efficient ways to drill. And as the term of the

Read & Share sourced from: Reuters

The amount of US land used to grow wheat is at the lowest in almost a century

by: Josh Wolsky | July 10, 2017

Wheat markets are in flux right now, and the price is on the rise. A late season snowstorm in Kansas, drought in North Dakota are all factors, but so too is the fact that there were fewer wheat acres planted this year than at any point since the government began tracking the information in 1919.

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ND coal studying supply of valuable rare earth elements

by: Josh Wolsky | July 6, 2017

The same geological history that produced North Dakota’s coal history may hold additional value in the form of rare earth elements essential to the electronics and defense industries. Extracting those elements is the challenge, but investment from several government agencies is refining the processes to determine the viability long-term. Jessica Holdman with the Bismarck Tribune

Read & Share sourced from: Bismarck Tribune

The Government Shouldn’t Compete With Private Businesses for Profits

by: Josh Wolsky | June 30, 2017

Rob Port with the Say Anything Blog weighs in on the City of Minot’s proposed garbage pick-up policy revisions that would result in a mandated change of service from private haulers to City-provided garbage pick-up. The law change would capture about 1,200 multi-residential units. At a Committee of the Whole meeting this week, members of

Read & Share sourced from: Say Anything Blog.com

Western governors back Endangered Species Act, with changes

by: Josh Wolsky | June 29, 2017

The Western Governors Association, an association of 22-western Governors, met in Montana recently. Among the topics of business, a discussion and ultimately a resolution in support of the Endangered Species Act with a few caveats. Some of the concerns are that states have a larger voice in the federal decisions that impact them and that

Read & Share sourced from: Associated Press

Five members named to state Economic Development Foundation board

by: Josh Wolsky | June 29, 2017

The Economic Development Foundation board was established by the legislature in 2001 to provide an oversight role for the state’s economic development efforts. What’s curious about the appointments and the larger board makeup is there isn’t a single member from Minot on the 17-member board. The larger question is does that matter? Is this a

Read & Share sourced from: Bismarck Tribune