McKenzie County to Celebrate 60th Year in the Oil Industry

McKenzie County, the all time leading North Dakota oil-producing county in the state, is celebrating its 60th year in the oil industry this year and the McKenzie County Pioneer Museum and Job Development Authority is commemorating this exciting event by hosting the Best of the Bakken Open House and Celebration on Thursday, December 13th at the Pioneer Museum of McKenzie County.

Festivities will include an all day open house with refreshments, films and photographs of McKenzie County’s oil history as well as the dedication of the McKenzie County Oil Exhibit at 5:30 pm.

The oil exhibit features a to-scale replica of a drilling rig and work over rig against a beautiful western North Dakota backdrop. It also includes an interactive video component and two exact replicas of drilling bits used in the process. The exhibit has been open to the public for a few months and this celebration is meant to celebrate its success and invite the community to take a look.

“Thanks to the generous donations from individuals and businesses we are able to have this unique and important display available to celebrate our 60th anniversary of oil in this county,” said Jessie Scofield, Special Projects Coordinator for McKenzie County. “With increased requests for drilling rig tours this display is the perfect way to bring the industry to the public and help educate them on the industry that is bustling around us.”

Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. 

For more information or to sponsor the display, please contact:

Jessie Scofield, Special Projects Coordinator for McKenzie County at 701-770-8659 or [email protected].