Williston, ND & Bakken Oilfield of Early 2016
WILLISTON- The rapid decline in the price of oil, globally and domestically, began in the middle of 2014. Since then, despite the sprouting apartment buildings across western North Dakota, including Williston, vacancy has remained at approximately 40% due to the worker layoffs and workers fearful of layoffs following this decline. Regardless of the newly built stores in Williston, such as Menards, businesses have slowed down on a town-wide scale. People have migrated away from the area. Truck traffic is nowhere near what it was prior to this decline. Multiple travel centers surrounding Williston, such as the Wild Bison (south of Williston) and the Pilot (north of Williston) that once teemed with tractor trailers and oilfield workers are now more quiet than they've ever been. Numerous oil-pumping units surrounding the area are standing still, motionless as the world waits for oil's oversupply to diminish.
But despite this apparent strain to the local economy given the unexpected slow down, many locals will agree that the change has been nice.
"I don't have to worry about being out of the house in the evening time anymore," one local teacher in the Williston Disctrict recently stated.
Another big bonus for the community will be in place when oil business does pick up again--ND 85, the major road that traverses the western part of the state from north to south, now bypasses Williston. Before the construction of this bypass, truckers and other travelers approaching Williston from the north or south had to drive through the town if they wanted to continue on the highway.
"That bypass is going to keep this town a bit more quiet, I think," a local Williston man stated this past week.
One misconception regarding the job market in Williston has to do with the production side of oil extraction. Many people believe that the side of the oil industry that is responsible for maintaining the pump jacks and the working wells will always have work. This is not exactly true. Given the fact that a well is shut down, for instance, there's not much to do with that well. For active wells, eventually a "workover rig" and its crew will have to service the well for various reasons. In the event that a well is shut off, however, crews don't have that work.
"We've cut our rigs back by 50-percent," said a manager at a well services company this past summer of 2015.
But though certain jobs may have become scarce in the past year or two, businesses in Williston are still hiring, as one can see by simply glancing at Williston's Indeed.com page. But it should be no surprise that the high-paying jobs are not nearly as prevalent.
New commercial growth is also supposed to be on its way in the near future. A $500 million development--part retail, part housing--may come to fruition in the next year or two, and the same goes for a brand-new airport that is forecasted to cost $254 million. Each project will be just outside of the city limits, though they will clearly mean more job and shopping opportunities for residents.
It is clear that many people in Williston believe that, "It'll come back," "It" being the boom. Others doubt it, though they do think business is sure to pick up as soon as the price of oil rises and stabilizes.
"Once oil's at $50 a barrel for a few months, we'll start to see another change around here," a retired oilfield worker said just outside of Lonnie's Roadhouse in north Williston. "If we can just keep enough law enforcement around, I think we'll be doing all right," said the man.
But despite this apparent strain to the local economy given the unexpected slow down, many locals will agree that the change has been nice.
"I don't have to worry about being out of the house in the evening time anymore," one local teacher in the Williston Disctrict recently stated.
Another big bonus for the community will be in place when oil business does pick up again--ND 85, the major road that traverses the western part of the state from north to south, now bypasses Williston. Before the construction of this bypass, truckers and other travelers approaching Williston from the north or south had to drive through the town if they wanted to continue on the highway.
"That bypass is going to keep this town a bit more quiet, I think," a local Williston man stated this past week.
One misconception regarding the job market in Williston has to do with the production side of oil extraction. Many people believe that the side of the oil industry that is responsible for maintaining the pump jacks and the working wells will always have work. This is not exactly true. Given the fact that a well is shut down, for instance, there's not much to do with that well. For active wells, eventually a "workover rig" and its crew will have to service the well for various reasons. In the event that a well is shut off, however, crews don't have that work.
"We've cut our rigs back by 50-percent," said a manager at a well services company this past summer of 2015.
But though certain jobs may have become scarce in the past year or two, businesses in Williston are still hiring, as one can see by simply glancing at Williston's Indeed.com page. But it should be no surprise that the high-paying jobs are not nearly as prevalent.
New commercial growth is also supposed to be on its way in the near future. A $500 million development--part retail, part housing--may come to fruition in the next year or two, and the same goes for a brand-new airport that is forecasted to cost $254 million. Each project will be just outside of the city limits, though they will clearly mean more job and shopping opportunities for residents.
It is clear that many people in Williston believe that, "It'll come back," "It" being the boom. Others doubt it, though they do think business is sure to pick up as soon as the price of oil rises and stabilizes.
"Once oil's at $50 a barrel for a few months, we'll start to see another change around here," a retired oilfield worker said just outside of Lonnie's Roadhouse in north Williston. "If we can just keep enough law enforcement around, I think we'll be doing all right," said the man.
