7/22/2014 Williston, North Dakota
An oil drigging rig run by the Norwegian firm Statoil was illuminated against the night sky outside Williston, North Dakota.
7/20/2014 Epping, North Dakota
A biker peeled out of the main intersection of Epping, North Dakota, a small town with a population of around 100 that is steadily growing as oil production ramps up in the area.
East of Watford City, North Dakota
Drillers worked to drill "the curve," the 1000 foot portion of the oil well that gradually changes the angle from vertical to horizontal, on the Raven Drilling Company rig, outside Watford City, North Dakota.
8/1/2014 Willistion, North Dakota
During the boom, many oilfield workers arrived at the Williston Amtrak station. Many arrive in search of work by train with just a backpack.
7/26/2014 East of Watford City, North Dakota
"Bam" sliced a microwave pizza he made for dinner at the Raven Drilling “man camp” near to their drill site. Four six man crews trade off working two crew/two week shifts, with each shift lasting 12 hours, and drilling operations continuing 24 hours a day. Most men spend their time either sleeping or working, and head back to homes across the US once their shifts are over.
8/5/2014 Williston, North Dakota
The Fox Run RV park located outside Williston is home to over a thousand people. Just renting a space for your trailer in the park costs $850/month—an affordable price compared to single bedroom apartments that fetch more than $2,000.
7/19/2014 Epping, North Dakota
Oil industry workers arm wrestled one another at the Epping Saloon, outside Williston, North Dakota, after work. Epping, which has a population of 100 as of the 2010 census, is set to grow dramatically as new housing is built to accommodate workers coming to the region to work in the shale oil fields.
7/26/2014 East of Watford City, North Dakota
"Bam," center, "Lesbo," drinking a beer, and "Phillips," sitting in the backseat, relaxed on a “booze cruise” after their shift on the Raven Drilling oil rig by taking a drive into the badlands near their “man camp,” finding an old car frame, abandoned sometime in the early 20th century, by the side of the road.
8/5/2014 Williston, North Dakota
A father and his son floated by in the waterpark section of the Williston Area Recreation Center, which prominently features a sculpture of an oil derrick and gas flares as it’s centerpiece. The Arc, as it is known, was opened in March 2014, at a cost of $70 million. Much of it is financed by a 1 cent sales tax on local transactions.
7/22/2014 Williston, North Dakota
A local resident of Williston, North Dakota watched as a massive fire fueled by chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process, referred to as "fracking," burned out of control at the Red River Supply complex in downtown Williston, in July, destroying much of the facility, located next to Williston's downtown and railroad spur.
7/17/2014 Williston, North Dakota
Local residents of Williston attended an affordable housing meeting at the Williston community library. Many of them, particularly the elderly, live on fixed incomes, and have seen their rents rise and eviction notices be issued as the price of rent has skyrocketed in past years.
7/16/2014 Epping, North Dakota
Long tanker trains carrying oil east stretch across the North Dakota Prairie outside Epping. Tanker train traffic has crowded out much of the grain and livestock transport capacity that farmers in the region used to rely on to get their goods to market.
7/17/2014 Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
An American Bison, or buffalo, roamed the badlands in the Teddy Roosevelt National Park, south of Watford City, North Dakota.