This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
World Trade Center Utah is offering a seminar Wednesday aimed at identifying business opportunities in the Bakken oil fields that might be available to companies in the state.
A new report details many of the needs — from hosing to pipeline construction — being generated by drilling in the oil formation that stretches from western North Dakota and northeast Montana into Canada's Saskatchewan Province. Output has been so prodigious that some estimates say the hub could challenge production levels in the Gulf Coast.
Copies of the report will be available at the seminar, which also will feature specific information companies need to assess their ability to play a role in the unfolding energy boom that has seen oil production double in the past two years. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Salt Lake Chamber, 175 E. University Blvd. (400 South), Suite 600, in Salt Lake City.
Cost is $149, which includes a copy of the specialized report. Seating is limited, and a catered lunch will be served. To register online, go to http://tappinginthebakken.eventbrite.com, or call 801-538-8861.
"It's hard to imagine the scale of what is happening in the Bakken," said Arnie Sherman, president of Global Development Services and executive director of the Montana World Trade Center, a nonprofit organization that works to increase international trade through public-private partnerships. "There are shortages of everything, from waste disposal to vehicle repair to infrastructure equipment. We see opportunities for Utah businesses in sectors like environmental remediation, communications, finance, health care, restaurants, hospitality, transportation and water services."
Leading the discussion Wednesday will be Sherman and Ed Wetherbee, managing director of the Northern Rockies Regional Center, which makes investments and helps individuals obtain U.S. citizenship, and the former president of Colorado Energy Management in Boulder. They will focus on the challenges of doing business in the region and what lies ahead.
The report, "Tapping Opportunity in the Bakken," was prepared by Missoula-based Global Development Services, which provides construction services to the hospitality industry, and was sponsored by the Montana World Trade Center and the Missoula Economic Partnership, which facilitates business development. —
If you go
When • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday
Cost • $149, includes report, lunch
Where • Salt Lake Chamber, 175 E. University Blvd. (400 South), Suite. 600, Salt Lake City
To register • appinginthebakken.eventbrite.com