Not a record turnout – but organizers of the 2016 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference say they’re happy.
"We just reached 2500 registrants," North Dakota Petroleum Council president Ron Ness announced at the conference's opening news briefing at the Bismarck Events Center. "We were planning for about 1800 a few months ago."
Ness says he also expects a number of on-site registrations.
"You put that on top of the roughly 4500 general public tickets we've sold for (Donald) Trump, and it's going to be a busy place," Ness said.
Donald Trump will speak Thursday afternoon at the close of the conference.
Two years ago, the WBPC drew more than 4000 people to Bismarck. Ness blames the current oil industry slump for the lower number of attendees.
"The major operators that used to send 30 to 50 people, might now send 5 to 8," Ness said. "We were so thrilled to have 270 vendors this year. We had 536 years ago. There's just not a lot of economic drivers on the exploratory side side right now. It's been a challenge."
But Ness and state mineral resources director Lynn Helms say there is a sense of optimism among attendees.
"There is a level of excitement and optimism that I don't think a few months ago we really expected," Helms said. He also said the tenor of the Conference has changed this year.
"A real focus on efficiency," Helms said. "Just efficiency, efficiency, efficiency everywhere you look."
Helms also said the drilling rig count in the Bakken has clicked upward -- from 25 to 28.
