The Bakken Shale: Key to American Energy Independence.
The Bakken Shale Formation is one of 15 oil producing formations in the Williston Basin that stretches throughout Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Bakken Formation itself covers weastern N.Dakota, N. Eastern Montana and continues into Canada
If recovery techniques continue to improve as expected the estimated oil content of this valuable field may rise to as much as 8 billion barrels or between 14 and 24 times the known American oil resources. Currently producing 75k barrels per day from 951 wells, and climbing steady, the Bakken Shale continues to increase in production. The value of this formation also includes as much as 3 trillion cubic liters of natural gas as well as liquid natural gas.
Drilling rig owners and operators are currently experiencing a shortage of labor and are willing to pay top dollar (some estimates say 80k per year) for oil field workers of all types.