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BISMARCK, ND
May 19 to May 21, 2026

Williston Basin Petroleum Conference agenda

All times listed are in Central Daylight Time

Edited 5/14/2026

33rd Williston Basin Petroleum Conference

May 19–21, 2026
Bismarck Event Center, 315 South 5th St, Bismarck, ND

Monday, May 18, 2026

7:00 a.m.
Exhibitor set-up opens – Exhibit Hall and Outdoor Exhibits
7:00 p.m.
Exhibitor set-up closes for the day

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Theme: 75 Years of Oil Dominance

8:00 a.m.
Lobby
Conference registration is open
9:00 a.m.
Exhibit Hall and Outdoor Exhibits are open
11:00–11:45 a.m.
Rooms 101-102
Combating Human Trafficking: How the Energy Industry Can Disrupt Human Trafficking Networks
  • Lindsey Mattson, Director of Industry Engagement (Energy), Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT)
  • Introduction by Patty Furuseth, Senior Personal Safety Professional, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
11:15–1:00 p.m.
lunch by Liuna Local 563
  • Location: LiUNA Outside Booth
11:50–12:00 p.m.
Hall D
Welcome
  • Ron Ness, President, North Dakota Petroleum Council
  • Kennedy DeLap, Miss North Dakota
12:00–12:30 p.m.
Hall D
Showcasing North Dakota’s Oil History
  • North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong
  • Ron Ness, President, North Dakota Petroleum Council
  • Kathy Neset, President, NESET
12:30 p.m.
Hall D
Ed Murphy Recognition
  • Presented by the North Dakota Industrial Commission
  • North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong
  • Drew Wrigley, North Dakota Attorney General
Afternoon Sessions
1:00–2:30 p.m.
Hall D
Mid-Cap Operators: Expanding the Williston Basin
  • Jason Kurek, President, North America, Hunt Oil Company
  • Drew Wellsfry, President & COO, Silver Hill Energy Partners
  • Brad Suddarth, Executive Vice President & CFO, Kraken Operating
  • Peter Radovanovic, VP of Production Operations, Formentera Operations
  • Moderator: Preston Page, President, Dakota Energy
  • Introduction: Brady Pelton, VP and General Counsel, North Dakota Petroleum Council
1:00–2:30 p.m.
Rooms 101-102
Technical Solutions
  • Solving the Rich Gas Problem at Facilities - Mathias Schlecht, President and CEO, Coldstream Energy
  • From Pilot to Proof: Emissions Reduction Unit Deployment - August Lorenzen, PE, Design Engineer III, Steffes
  • AI and Satellite Imagery for Enhanced Operation Awareness - Jennifer Martin, Geospatial Program Manager, Earth Systems
  • Moderators: Darren Schmidt, P.E., Distinguished Petroleum Engineer, Energy and Environmental Research Center, and Jim Hughs, Chemical Engineer, ConocoPhillips
1:00–2:30 p.m.
Rooms 103-105
Improved Oil Recovery
  • Full-Life Unconventional EOR - Birlie Bourgeois, President and General Manager, Applied Technology Solutions, Chevron
  • Bakken Surfactant EOR – Project Update - Brad Musgrove, Williston Basin Asset Manager, Rockies Business Unit, Devon Energy
  • Williston Basin EOR: Potential Besides the Bakken - Kyle Gardner, Vice President of Engineering, Cobra Oil and Gas Corporation
  • Moderators: Charles Gorecki, CEO, Energy & Environmental Research Center, and Nathan Anderson, Director, North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources
2:30–3:00 p.m.
Networking: Visit the Expo & Outdoor Exhibits
3:00–4:30 p.m.
Hall D
Non-Operators and Royalties: Investing in the Williston Basin
  • Preston Page, President, Dakota Energy
  • Rhett Reeves, Manager-Corporate Development, Riverbend Energy Group
  • Lauren Ness, Subsurface Manager, Chord Energy
  • David Rontal, Managing Partner, Overland Oil & Gas, LLC
  • Moderator: Kate Black, Vice President, Inland Oil and Gas
3:00–4:30 p.m.
Rooms 101-102
Pipelines, Monitoring, and Remediation
  • Advancing Pipeline Infrastructure in the Williston Basin: Applications of Steel-Reinforced Spoolable Composite Pipe – Tanner Morgan, Project Engineering Manager, FlexSteel Pipeline Technologies
  • Enhancing Pipeline Monitoring with Artificial Intelligence - Jerad Stack, CEO, Flowstate Solutions
  • Selecting Soil Amendments for Reclamation: Matching Materials to Soil Constraints – Tom DeSutter, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor of Soil Science, North Dakota State University
  • Moderators: Todd Shields, VP-Commercial-Rockies/Midcon/North TX, ONEOK, and Andrew Dunkley, State Government Affairs Manager-Northern Great Plains, Marathon Petroleum
3:00–4:30 p.m.
Rooms 103-105
Advanced Lift Technologies
  • Bakken Artificial Lift: Past, Present, and Future – Margarita Carlos, P.Eng., Williston & Rockies Production Engineering Supervisor, ConocoPhillips
  • Alternative to Gas Lift and Rod Lift in Low-Pressure Bakken Wells - Daniel Ramirez, Production Manager, Chord Energy
  • Unlocking Reliability and Performance with Endless Rod®, Continuous Rod – Taylor Krenek, US Endless Rod Sales Manager, Lifting Solutions
  • Moderators: John Hamling, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, Energy and Environmental Research Center; James Davison, Asset Manager-Bakken, ExxonMobil Upstream Company
4:30–6:00 p.m.
Exhibit Hall
Hosted Bar and 75 Years of Oil Dominance Celebration Party

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Theme: Bakken 2.0: Crack the Code

7:00 a.m.
Conference registration opens
7:00–8:15 a.m.
Exhibit Hall
Hot Breakfast Buffet
7:30 a.m.
Exhibit Hall and Outdoor Exhibits are open
Morning Session – Hall D
8:00 a.m.
Hall D
Welcome
  • Ron Ness, President, North Dakota Petroleum Council
  • National Anthem:  Hope Burdolski, Miss State Capitol
8:15–8:35 a.m.
Hall D
North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong
8:35–8:55 a.m.
Hall D
Kyle Haustveit, Assistant Secretary, Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office, U.S. Department of Energy
8:55–9:15 a.m.
Hall D
Mark N. Fox, Chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes
9:15–9:35 a.m.
Hall D
Danny Brown, CEO, Chord Energy
9:35–10:40 a.m.
Networking: Visit the Expo & Outdoor Exhibits
10:40–11:15 a.m.
Hall D
Road to Energy Dominance
  • Todd Staples, President, Texas Oil and Gas Association
  • Missi Currier, President, New Mexico Oil and Gas Association
  • Edith Naegele, President, Independent Petroleum Association of America
  • Ron Ness, President, North Dakota Petroleum Council
  • Introduction:  Blu Hulsey, Senior Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs and Health, Safety & Environmental, Continental Resources
11:15–11:45 a.m.
Hall D
Bakken Natural Gas: The Time is Now
  • Justin Kringstad, Executive Director, North Dakota Pipeline Authority
  • Rob Johnson, President, WBI Energy, Inc.
  • Stacy Tschider, CEO, Rainbow Energy Center
  • Moderator: Todd Slawson, President, Slawson Exploration Company
  • Introduction:  Blu Hulsey, Senior Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs and Health, Safety & Environmental, Continental Resources
11:45–1:15 p.m.
Lunch provided in Expo
9:30–11:30 a.m.
Cottonwood/Birch Rooms
Special Regulatory Round Table: Clean Air Act Compliance and Regulatory Insights
  • Conversation with Christy Woodward, Chief of Staff, Region 8 Environmental Protection Agency, and Dave Glatt, Director, North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality
  • Moderators: Michael Bobo, Uncon Environmental & Regulatory Advisor, ExxonMobil, and Eric Delzer, Director of State and Federal Regulatory Policy, North Dakota Petroleum Council
Afternoon Sessions
1:00–2:30 p.m.
Hall D
Bakken 2.0: Crack the Code
  • ExxonMobil: Upstream Strategies and the Role of the Bakken - Pam Heatherington, ExxonMobil Americas General Manager and Denbury CEO
  • EOR Growth Opportunities - Vishal Gupta, President and General Manager, EOR Ventures, Occidental
  • Toby Deen, Senior Policy Advisor, National Energy Dominance Council
  • John Argo, Vice President, Williston Basin, Continental Resources
  • Moderators: Lynn Helms, Bakken 2.0 Project Manager, North Dakota Petroleum Council, and John Harju, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, Energy and Environmental Research Center
1:00–2:30 p.m.
Rooms 101-102
Geology Session I
  • Middle Bakken and Three Forks Long Laterals Analysis - Production and Initial Economic Modeling - Nathan Wilkens, Subsurface Geologist, North Dakota Geological Survey
  • A Preliminary Analysis of Geologic Controls on Hydrocarbon Production in the Red River Formation, "D” Interval:  A Case Study from Golden Valley County, North Dakota - Ismail Faruqi, Subsurface Geologist, North Dakota Geological Survey
  • Dynamic Evaluation of the Upper Tyler Formation and Well Stimulation Fluid Interactions Using Micro-CT Imaging - Shane Butler, Principal Geologist, Integrated Analytical Solutions, Energy and Environmental Research Center
  • Rare Earth Element Potential of Coals and Carbonaceous Mudstone Within the Upper Cretaceous of Southern Saskatchewan - Meagan Gilbert, Geologist, Saskatchewan Geological Survey
  • Moderators: Tara Vesey, Deputy Director, North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, and Dr. Sven Egenhoff, Professor and Director, University of North Dakota
1:00–2:30 p.m.
Rooms 103-105
Innovative Completion and Production Technologies
  • Impact of Frac Soak Time on Well Productivity - Lee Bartholomew, Subsurface Manager, SOGC, LLC
  • Recurve Stimulation: A New Approach to IOR & Reliability – Eric P. Nelson, VP Technology, Creedence Energy Services
  • Electric Workover Rig - Innovation and Application - Christian Click, WLM Manager-Bakken, Chevron
  • Moderators: William Westler, VP of the Rockies Business Unit, Devon Energy, and Kevin Black, CEO, Creedence Energy Services
2:30–3:00 p.m.
Networking: Visit the Expo & Outdoor Exhibits
3:00–4:30 p.m.
Hall D
A New Approach to Compliance
  • Christy Woodward, Chief of Staff, Region 8 Environmental Protection Agency
  • Nathan Anderson, Director, North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources
  • Dave Glatt, Director, North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality
  • Rebecca Gibbons, Assistant Deputy Minister, Government of Saskatchewan
  • Bethany Ihle, Grasslands Supervisor, Dakota Prairie Grasslands, Forest Service
  • Moderator: Josh DeMorrett, State Government Affairs Director, ConocoPhillips
3:00–4:30 p.m.
Rooms 101-102
Geology Session II
  • What Duperow Carbonates and Anhydrites Tell Us About North Dakota in the Devonian - Dr. Sven Egenhoff, Professor and Director, University of North Dakota
  • Lithium Exploration in the Brines of the Duperow Formation in Southern Saskatchewan - Gavin Jensen, Senior Research Petroleum Hydrogeologist, Saskatchewan Geological Survey
  • Mapping Mud Gas in the Lower Lodgepole: Implications for Reservoir Conditions in the Bakken Petroleum System - Mike Madison, Founder and Geologist, Green Mountain Exploration
  • Review of Non-Bakken/Three Forks Oil and Gas Activity During 2010-2025 - Timothy Nesheim, Independent Consulant, WB Geological Consulting LLC
  • Moderators: Tara Vesey, Deputy Director, North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, and Ed Murphy, State Geologist, North Dakota Geological Survey 
3:00–4:30 p.m.
Rooms 103-105
Unlocking the Bakken: Pilot Projects
  • Chord Energy Williston Basin EOR Pilot - Arvo Buck, Director New Ventures, Chord Energy
  • Unlocking the Williston Basin Potential:  Pioneering Enhanced Oil Recovery Pilots in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations - Jose Zaghloul, PhD, Engineer Advisor, Continental Resources
  • The Bakken Production Optimization Program (BPOP):  How Teamwork Will Crack the Code for Bakken EOR - Jim Sorenson, Director of Subsurface R&D, Energy & Environmental Research Center
  • Moderators: Darrin Henke, Executive VP and COO, Chord Energy, and Kate Klossner, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Communications, SOGC
4:30–6:00 p.m.
Networking & Hosted Bar: Visit the Expo & Outdoor Exhibits
6:00 p.m.
Tradeshow ends

Thursday, May 21, 2026

No trade show today

Theme: American Energy Dominance: America 250

7:00 a.m.
Conference registration opens
7:00–8:15 a.m.
Hall D
Hot Breakfast Buffet
7:45 a.m.
Hall D
Welcome
  • Ron Ness, President, North Dakota Petroleum Council
  • National Anthem - Sydney Helgeson, Talent Attraction Specialist, North Dakota Department of Commerce
8:00–8:30 a.m.
Hall D
Continental's Global Shale Outlook
  • Harold Hamm, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Continental Resources
  • Shelly Lambertz, Executive Chairman, Continental Resources
  • Moderated by: Ron Ness, President, North Dakota Petroleum Council
8:30–9:15 a.m.
Hall D
Doug Burgum, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
9:15–9:45 a.m.
Hall D
Mike Sommers, President, American Petroleum Institute

Q&A with Todd Slawson, Chairman of the Board, North Dakota Petroleum Council

9:45–10:00 a.m.
Hall D
Break
10:00–10:45 a.m.
Hall D
Fireside Chat with Ryan Lance, Chairman & CEO, ConocoPhillips, and Ron Ness, President, North Dakota Petroleum Council
10:45–11:30 a.m.
Hall D
America’s Energy Future
  • Pierce H. Norton II, CEO, ONEOK
  • Clay Gaspar, CEO, Devon Energy
  • Moderated by: Kathy Neset, President, NESET
  • Introduction: Lawrence Bender, Attorney, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
11:30 a.m.
Conference Adjourns

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