State oil and gas outlook poised for growth says local energy leader
Steve Hallstrom
Special to The Farmer
North Dakota’s winter winds often bring an icy blast to the Bakken, but the state’s energy leaders say the winds of change that are blowing are warm and welcomed.
McKenzie County Commissioner Joel Brown says with Donald Trump’s decisive electoral win in the 2024 election, a new administration stands ready to open the faucet of oil and natural gas.
Brown, appearing on the What’s On Your Mind program on KTGO Radio (AM 1090 / FM 92.7) previewed the new administration’s expected approach to oil and natural gas production. Brown has extensive experience designing and operating oil wells and managing pipeline systems. However, he’s spent most of his career on Acquisition & Divestment teams and helped develop the only Bakken-specific mineral tracking software on the market.
Brown said Trump’s win was greeted enthusiastically in the industry.
“I think that immediately following the news of Trump’s election, you just felt a major sigh of relief across the industry. Under the Biden administration, there was just always so much uncertainty over what was going to happen. You didn’t know what was the next thing that he was going to throw at the industry to hamper production and development. There was so much negative rhetoric along with his actions.”
Trump spoke about oil, coal, and natural gas often on the campaign trail, and his transition team is reportedly putting together a wide-ranging energy package to roll out within days of his taking office. Reuters reports that the program would approve export permits for new natural gas projects and increase oil drilling off the U.S. coast and on federal lands.
Trump has also indicated he would seek to approve the Keystone Pipeline, an issue that was an environmental flashpoint and which was halted after Biden canceled a key permit on his first day in office. But any company looking to build the multibillion-dollar effort to carry Canadian crude oil to the U.S. would need to start from scratch because easements have been returned to landowners. It may be a ceremonial move as much as anything, but the fact that Trump has indicated he’ll make these sweeping changes on day one is encouraging to Brown.
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