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The Great Plains Oil Rush There's a massive oil boom underway on North Dakota's western plains, bringing new residents in droves and dramatically transforming the region's way of life.
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The Great Plains Oil Rush

A massive oil boom is dramatically transforming North Dakota's western plains.
On The Plains, The Rush For Oil Has Changed Everything

Diners at Lonnie's Roadhouse Cafe eat breakfast before heading to work in Williston, N.D. Annie Flanagan for NPR hide caption

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Annie Flanagan for NPR

On The Plains, The Rush For Oil Has Changed Everything

Rough-and-tumble towns have popped up in areas once dominated by sleepy farming hamlets. Black gold has brought big-money jobs, but housing is expensive, crime has spiked, and water is running out.

On The Plains, The Rush For Oil Has Changed Everything

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Taking Stock Of The Northern Plains Oil Boom

Beginning next week, NPR News will be taking an in-depth look at the unprecedented oil drilling boom happening on the Northern Plains, where the state of North Dakota has fast become one of the nation's most productive drilling regions. NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with NPR reporter Kirk Siegler, back from a recent reporting trip in North Dakota for the series.

Taking Stock Of The Northern Plains Oil Boom

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Falling Oil Prices Have North Dakota Migrants Rethinking The Boom

Falling oil prices are leading to a slow down in drilling. And that means workers are rethinking the long commutes they've been making for once-steady, good-paying jobs.

Falling Oil Prices Have North Dakota Migrants Rethinking The Boom

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How The U.S. Oil Boom Is Changing The Industry's Landscape

There is an oil rush in North Dakota right now. The state is pumping out 10 times the crude oil it did a decade ago. Fortunes are being made, and once-sleepy towns are now bursting at the seams.

How The U.S. Oil Boom Is Changing The Industry's Landscape

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Booming Oil Fields May Be Giving Sex Trafficking A Boost

A cold night in the city center of Williston, N.D. Law enforcement agencies are concerned that rapid changes in the region have created conditions conducive to organized crimes like sex trafficking. Annie Flanagan/for NPR hide caption

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Annie Flanagan/for NPR

Booming Oil Fields May Be Giving Sex Trafficking A Boost

Montana Public Radio

The oil rush in and around North Dakota has brought an influx of mostly male workers flush with cash. Law enforcement agencies and activists say that's creating ample opportunity for organized crime — and that more must be done to prevent women from being forced into prostitution.

Booming Oil Fields May Be Giving Sex Trafficking A Boost

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Commuting To Distant Oil Fields: Good Money, At A Price

The small streets of Williston, N.D., are bustling with trucks early in the morning. Annie Flanagan for NPR hide caption

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Commuting To Distant Oil Fields: Good Money, At A Price

With thousands of oil-related jobs in western North Dakota, some of the region's new workers are putting down roots. But many more commute from states where jobs are hard to come by — and that can mean being separated from spouses and children for weeks at a time.

Commuting To Distant Oil Fields: Good Money, At A Price

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Much Of North Dakota's Natural Gas Is Going Up In Flames

Gas flaring near Highway 85 southwest of Williston. Analysts estimate that almost 30 percent of the gas being produced in the state is burned off. Jeff Brady/NPR hide caption

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Much Of North Dakota's Natural Gas Is Going Up In Flames

Drillers pumping oil on the Great Plains are also producing a lot of natural gas. But the state doesn't have the infrastructure to transport or store it, so much of that gas isn't being sold — it's being set on fire.

Much Of North Dakota's Natural Gas Is Going Up In Flames

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Oil Rush A Cash Cow For Some Farmers, But Tensions Crop Up

A drilling site rises from the middle of farmland near Fairfield, N.D. Many farmers and ranchers are profiting from the state's oil boom, but others complain that drillers are interfering with their business. Jeff Brady/NPR hide caption

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Oil Rush A Cash Cow For Some Farmers, But Tensions Crop Up

North Dakota's oil sector is booming, but agriculture remains the state's largest industry. And while many farmers and ranchers are profiting from the oil beneath the prairie, others complain that drilling is interfering with their business — and changing rural life as they know it.

Oil Rush A Cash Cow For Some Farmers, But Tensions Crop Up

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