In the quest for temporary national energy independence by 2030, fewer Americans are finding themselves left out of the equation as the industry moves into the backyards of those living in states as picturesque as rural Montana.
Montana’s northeastern corner contains a unique slice of American history and geology, adorned with the beauty of Bear Paw Mountains, Missouri River and the more than 2 million acres that comprise the Fort Peck Indian Reservation — though a new government report indicates that very area could produce more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil.
“At first, the openness, the immensity and the distances may seem overpowering,” wrote Rick and Susie Graetz, Montana residents. “Gradually, though, you get comfortable with it all; then you notice the beauty and splendor. Not just the imposing structures, but also the abundance of simple grandeur … and the soft fusion of earth and sky on horizon that seems endless.”
The Bakken formation that has turned much of North Dakota into an oil field doesn’t stop at the state border. It stretches through the northeastern portion of Montana, and if the oil industry gets its way, the farmland and prairie landscape utilized by a robust hunting and fishing industry could be destroyed along the way.
Government study: Montana has oil, and a lot of it
In April, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) issued a report indicated that 7.4 billion barrels of oil could be extracted from oil formations in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. This number nearly doubles previous industry estimates.
The report also includes a lesser-known Three Forks Formation, stretching beyond the Bakken’s presence in northeastern Montana through the north-central and southern portions of the state. While North Dakota has been the queen of oil in the northern Great Plains, the new report indicates that 1.6 billion barrels of oil could be extracted in Montana.
A map produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council indicates Montana is also home to the Powder River Basin, the Montana Thrust Belt and portions of the Big Horn basin, all potential sources of oil.
If remarks made by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, a former oil engineer, are any indication, those very areas are the nation’s target for oil extraction.
“These world-class formations contain even more energy resource potential than previously understood, which is important information as we continue to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of oil,” Jewell said in a USGS release. “We must develop our domestic energy resources armed with the best available science, and this unbiased, objective information will help private, nonprofit and the government decision makers at all levels make informed decisions about the responsible development of these resources.”
Lawmakers in Montana don’t seem to be putting up a fight either, indicating the oil field could greatly expand in the state as it did in North Dakota, where regulations were sparse.
Mirroring the mentality of North Dakota legislatures, Montana Sen. Alan Olson, a Republican who hails from the central part of the state, said this week at the House Natural Resources Committee hearing that federal regulations for hydraulic fracking on public lands were unnecessary.
“States have successfully regulated more than 1.2 million hydraulic fracturing operations spanning 60 years,” Olson said. “New federal mandates are not necessary given their exemplary safety record.”
In April, Montana’s legislature showed their commitment to the oil industry after the senate rejected Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s appointment to the state’s Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, claiming nominee Mary Sexton would “hinder development.”
Sexton, the former director of the state’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), defended herself in an interview with the Montana Standard, claiming her record on issuing gas permits was one that favored industry.
“I think my record stands for itself,” she said. “We had record oil and gas leasing on state lands when I was DNRC director.”
During her eight-year reign, the state department issued permits for 2.8 million acres of public land to the oil and gas industry. Yet some questioned her concerns regarding fracking and the use of state water.
“There are people who have suggested she’s anti-fracking,” Montana Sen. Greg Jergeson (D), told the Standard. “That is an error. There are areas in fracking where she thinks we need to pay attention to water rights and water quality. I don’t think she should be faulted for having that concern.”
Fracking across America — no state left behind
Ten years ago, the term “fracking” was unknown to most Americans. Now, the quest for short-term energy independence is being spurred by an oil industry advertising U.S. land as the way out of dependence on foreign countries like Saudi Arabia.
The Natural Resource Defense Council identifies just 14 states that haven’t been impacted by fracking — but that doesn’t include states that have seen the silica sand mining industry — necessary for the fracking process — enter into the picture. The map doesn’t include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, all of which are being mined by the frac sand industry.
Even states like Louisiana are included in maps of prospective oil plays. The state sits atop the Louisiana-Mississippi Salt Basin, which as the name suggests, spans throughout the states.
With estimates by the International Energy Agency that the U.S. will be energy independent by 2030, the fracking industry has moved ahead full board. To keep up, the U.S. government is expected to release this month federal regulations for fracking on public lands. Yet as the Secretary of the Interior indicated, the rules are not intended to appease environmentalists.
Meanwhile, state and local governments are battling over the right to control state land. This month, a New York appeals court indicated New York municipalities could use local zoning laws to ban fracking, representing a victory for community members attempting to halt the industry from moving in.
In Colorado, authorities are flexing their legal muscles on behalf of the oil industry. Led by Gov. John Hickenlooper, who has appeared in pro-fracking ads, the state sued Longmont, Colo., claiming it could not restrict fracking within city limits. Voters had approved the ban in November.
As legal battles continue and regulations are put in place, the industry seems poised for success, aiming for energy independence by 2030, regardless of the environmental and health concerns at hand.