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BAKKEN ACCIDENT INSPIRES INVENTION: A 2018 accident was the motivation behind a new safety device that's getting attention in the Oil Patch all the way to Texas. Gary O'Leary, the inventor, told the Williston Herald Energy Chaser how a parted transfer rod accident in 2018 led him to create a device that will help eliminate such accidents.
Like many of the best inventions, O'Leary said the idea is something so simple he's surprised it hasn't already been invented. But his field tests have gone very well, and he now has a patent pending for the device, which gives the derrick hand a simple way to flip a switch that lets other team members know he's busy and they cannot proceed.
O'Leary was invited to Midland, Texas recently to talk about his invention, and he's working on a distributor arrangement with Howard Supply Company. In the meantime, he's got four more inventions he's working on that came from members of his team, who were inspired by his success. More great stuff from the Bakken for the Bakken!
API BANQUET SNAGS ENERGY ROCK STAR: Liberty Oilfield Services CEO Chris Wright has been tapped to be the keynote speaker for the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference's keynote speaker. Wright is a dynamic speaker, who, unlike many energy CEOs, is not shy about engaging with the media to tell the energy industry's story. His company's recent ESG statement provides a window into some of the topics Wright is likely to speak about during the banquet, which is set for Nov. 19 in the Well at Williston State College. Visit the API's website for ticket information and get your tux ready! This year's theme is a Red Carpet moment to celebrate the oil and gas industry.
CONTINENTAL'S PERMIAN PLAY: For the second time this year, Continental Resources has purchased a high-dollar position in a major North American shale play. Last time it was the Powder River Basin, this time it's the Permian. They're buying 3.25 billion in assets from Pioneer, a sale company officials said diversifies the company. It also instantly made the company more credit worthy with Fitch, S & P and Moody's all upgrading its investor rating. The purchase doesn't mean the Bakken's out of horsepower, though, COO Jack Stark told investors. Far from it. There's still plenty of runway left in the Bakken.
BIPARTISAN BILL HAS BILLIONS FOR ENERGY: The bipartisan infrastructure bill contained several wins for energy in addition to the $2 billion in funding for North Dakota roads and bridges and $200 million for water projects. Among these is $18 billion available for carbon capture, utilization, and storage and carbon dioxide pipelines. The money could be a boon to a variety of efforts, including Project Tundra and the newly sold Great River Energy Plant now known as Rainbow Energy Center. Meanwhile, pump prices dropped slightly nationwide, but were up in North Dakota and Republicans released their own energy and climate change plan. We've got all that and more in this week's Energy Quick Takes.
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW: That's this week's rundown of energy matters. Newsletter subscriptions are 100 percent free, and includes all linked articles — thanks to Basin Safety Consulting. Let's help keep oil and gas news free in the Bakken. Recruit a friend to subscribe to the newsletter today!
 As always, reach out if you've got more story ideas for me or you have feedback for me on this newsletter. I can be reached at rjean@willistonherald.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
Have a job listing for the Energy Chaser? Contact Connie at crueb@willistonherald.com or Maxine at maxine@willistonherald.com.
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Vaccination or resignation? The brave new world of enforcing OSHA's Emergency Temporary Standard
by Jonathon Greiner • Basin Safety Consulting
 I began this publication by winking at the fact that many in the industry look at safety regulations as a “necessary evil” (true, the feeling isn’t typically that strong). My thought was, if a lot of people think safety stinks, how can we change that? Some safety requirements are onerous, extra, duplicated and we can’t accept this blindly, we should always be looking at ways to improve safety, just as we do operations. Still, beyond having a baseline for controls to prevent injuries, I believe we can use safety requirements and practices to our advantage to improve quality, efficiency, even profitability (no one makes money if workers are in the hospital).
This week, and I say this unironically, safety does stink. OSHA has been conscripted in the strategy to medically protect America, leaning on the fact that if you can’t get people to do something voluntarily, threaten the people who sign their paychecks. For years I have defended safety regulations, understanding their purpose and intent. The recent ETS (Emergency Temporary Standard) that is on its way to becoming a CFR (Code of Federal Regulation) is not designed to protect workers, but to punish the employer for worker’s declinations, rather than allowing them to assume the risk and responsibility for them.
Read the rest of this excellent editorial online here.
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