Seeing Through to the End

Over 30 years in North Dakota means we’ve seen big projects, but this gas plant called for new heights of commitment and effort. We saw it through by seeing through it: using x-rays and other methods to test safety, and bridging our client’s quality assurance process with our own. See how we did it.

The Science You Build On.

To see the science our clients built on, go to www.braunintertec.com/Tioga a working interest partner. “Having had that opportunity to get a 25 percent working interest with these companies, we realized the benefit of participating at a high level, which ultimately led to MRR’s other endeavors,” Williams says.

Before MRR made the move to drill, it set up Grey Wolf Midstream in 2013. “We were looking at some niche out in the oil patch that we could jump into,” Williams says. “We thought it was a great opportunity to have our own pipeline on the reservation. We were working with Paradigm Energy Partners and then we partnered with Phillips 66, and what we ended up with is the Sacagawea Pipeline project. Running right through the reservation works to our advantage, and this is a great way to move product. This process is in the approving stage, but by next spring we should be getting in the ground. It’s a great project and we’re looking forward to it.”

The Sacagawea Pipeline will be a 76-mile pipeline to deliver crude oil from various points in and around Johnson’s Corner and the Paradigm CDP, located in McKenzie County, to points across Lake Sakakawea.

As for the future, Williams has two major goals, starting with workforce development. “Seventy percent of the industry is over 50 years old, so we’re focusing on the younger generation to make sure that somebody can move the industry forward and pass the baton,” Williams says. “Because we’re near the Bakken, we feel there’s a great need for this and we want to be the ones leading the way. We want to be in position to give back what we can, and we want to see our kids take over and run an oil company on the reservation and capitalize on the natural resources we have.”

Finally, even though there has been a slowdown in drilling and he’s hesitant to keep moving forward, Williams still has lofty goals for MRR. “Looking ahead, we have two more four-well projects we want to complete by the end of the year and a 32-well project by the Little Missouri. That gives us the ability to show investors and the tribe that we can do this at a huge scale. I envision us having at least 200 wells, 100 percent owned, by 2021-22. That’s my goal. It’s conceivable, and we’re looking forward to that.” PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer Prairie Business 701-780-1187, kprasek@prairiebizmag.com