Compiled by LAUREN DONOVAN

Bismarck Tribune

Gene Hummel owns Garrison Lumber and he's lost track of business this year.

That's a good thing. So many building projects have gone through his business, he's lost count of them.

"It's the best year we've had since we've owned the business (in 2002)," he said.

It's all due to a mini building boom that includes at least 11 houses, a dozen or so pole barns and countless remodeling, shingling, addition and siding jobs.

The action isn't confined to Garrison. He's sold building materials for projects at Max, Wolf Creek cabin site, Lake Audubon and over to the White Shield area.

Development along Lake Sakakawea is one primary area of growth.

Where pastures and crops once grew is a new growth of housing developments at Douglas Bay, Totten Trail, Audubon and Ireland subdivisions south of Garrison.

Hummel said people are building larger homes now, too. While 1,200 square feet was once a good average, folks now are looking at 1,800 square feet and more.

He said being close to the lake helps Garrison, but so does the town's full service infrastructure, with everything from recreation, to health facilities, to apartments.

"I look at it as that's where Garrison shines," Hummel said. "It's a progressive community. The two (lake and community) in combination with each other makes things happen."

- McLean County Independent

Seismic shakeup

It would be nice for Crosby if the new census could be counted right now.

There are about 100 extra people in town right now and that would add up to a 10 percent population increase.

The extra folks are all involved in a major seismograph survey being conducted by CGG Veritas that will eventually reveal a great deal of information about underground oil geology.

The company is set up in the former Bushel 42 plant and the workers have taken over all the available motel rooms in Crosby, Columbus and the former Noonan nursing home.

They've kept the local caterer busy, produced mounds of wash for the laundromat, purchased fuel for a 30-rig pickup fleet and donated $2,000 to the local hockey club in exchange for some cleanup work.

CGG Veritas agreed it's something like having the circus come to town.

Once the survey of most of 13 townships around Crosby is complete, more oil activity is likely to commence.

"I would assume they already know something's here and they want to pick their best return," said CGG Veritas manager Aaron Bateman.

The seismic project will pump $1.5 million into the economy by way of survey permit payments to landowners and lodging for workers. Additionally, the workers will get altogether about $100,000 in walking-around money every month.

The seismic procedure was developed by Veritas in the Middle East and produces a clearer subsurface image and reduced costs to the client.

"The cost of drilling a few dry holes could pay for their whole seismic survey," said Dave Newman, project manager.

- The Journal

Pulling ranks in oil

For years, North Dakota ranked ninth among states in oil production.

New wells - some of them pretty spectacular - being drilled in the Bakken formation in Dunn, McKenzie and Mountrail counties are changing that ranking, and in a hurry.

The state's oil production had for a long time hung around 30 million barrels a year on average. Now, within months, it seems, it's tracking to more than twice that amount.

Lynn Helms, director of the Department of Mineral Resources, said the state's oil production should reach 200,000 barrels a day by the end of this year.

If it does, the state is on target for 73 million barrels of annual production.

The new wells in the Bakken have already pushed North Dakota from the ninth highest producing state to the fifth highest.

If the increase continues, Helms predicts North Dakota will surpass Louisiana, putting it in a solid fourth-place ranking.

"But we'll never catch Alaska, so we expect to be solidly in fourth place, which is good news for North Dakota," he said.

Helms said this could be the year that breaks the 1981 record of the most drilling permits issued, which was 1,098. Through the first week of November, his department had issued just under 1,000, he said.

Oil business in North Dakota is almost as quicksilver as mercury.

"In late 1998, North Dakota oil was at $4 a barrel," Helms said. "In January 1999, there were no rigs in the state, and now there are 96 rigs drilling in the state."

The good numbers are spread around the region's main streets, with towns like Stanley reporting more than a 150 percent increase in taxable sales and purchases for the second quarter of the year. New Town was up 78 percent and Watford City was up 68 percent.

- New Town News, McKenzie County Farmer