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Remembering North Dakota ’ s First Oil Well Adapted from Information by the American Oil and Gas Historical Society After decades of drilling dry holes from one corner of North Dakota to the other, the state finally saw its first oil discovery on April 4, 1951, when the exploratory well on Clarence Iverson’s farm, northeast of Williston, finally began producing. The well had previously endured blizzards and been “shot” with perforation tools several times. This discovery in Mr. Iverson’s wheat field launched the first drilling frenzy in the Williston Basin and helped reveal the prolific basin stretching from North and South Dakota, and Montana, up to Canada. Although the early wildcat drilling attempt in North Dakota faced great skepti- cism, 30 million acres were under lease within two months of the 1951 discovery. A 2008 article in the Bismarck Tribune quoted Sid Anderson, the former state geologist, who was a college student at the University of North Dakota at the time of the state’s first oil discovery. “It was brand new then, and pretty exciting times,” said Anderson. “The amber-colored oil in the area was of such high quality you could have run a diesel with it straight from the well.” Mr. Iverson was reportedly unpleased when seismologists exploded dynamite in his wheat fields looking for oil. His son Cliff, who was 20 at the time of the dis- covery on the family farm, remembers his father smiling when oil surfaced for the first time. The farm became one of the largest tourist attractions in the Upper Midwest after the discovery. Cliff said people knew they were witnessing h i s tory be i ng made, and the we l l changed many lives. The Clarence Iverson No. 1 well produced 585,000 barrels of oil over 28 years. Clarence Iverson died in 1986, a wealthy man, who according to his son, “never got used to all that money.” A picture of the Clarence Iverson No. 1 derrick surrounded by snow appeared in the Williston Daily Herald in the 1950s. Association Celebrates More than 70 Years Adapted from Information by the North Carolina Ground Water Association The North Carolina Ground Water Association (NCGWA) cele- brated over 70 years of service to the state’s groundwater industry during its recent annual convention and trade show, in Greensboro, North Carolina, this past February. The first convention was held in Raleigh, in December 1946. The formation of the association provided a foundation for the structure of events and activities. This began in June of 1946, when 13 well drilling professionals and company representatives met at the Robert E. Lee Hotel in Winston-Salem. It is the only organization representing the professional and business interests of the North Carolina water well contractor and pump installer, while at the same time supporting scientific and educational efforts to preserve natural groundwater resources. The NCGWA would like to thank everyone for their support over the years and looks forward to 70 more. Past presidents able to attend the event were Elmer Newman, Mike Floyd, John Boyette, Jr., Dave Hutson (kneeling), Ronnie Venable, Paul Stewart, and current President Chauncey Leggett. 1” plastic cycle valves & they don’t leak! For more info call: (800) 364-2124 or visit us online: www.barrettpumpstop.com In-well couplings are available for this valve. Proudly made in the USA 38 APRIL 2017 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®