SnapSpaceSolutions

Friday, February 3, 2012

Oil Sand Housing USA

By Elysia Walton, SnapSpace Solutions Staff
February 3, 2012

            Don’t read the next two sentences until you make a guess about this question: what is the top exporting location for crude oil in the world?
 What did you guess? I bet you were probably thinking Iraq or Iran, or Saudi Arabia. I bet you will be surprised by the real number one. Iraq is actually only the seventh highest exporter![1] And surprisingly both Iran and neighboring Afghanistan as of 2007 were documented to export no oil![2] [3] I bet the number one exporter will highly surprise you. It’s Canada.[4] That’s right; our closest neighbor is the number one crude oil exporter in the world. Saudi Arabia is number two.[5] Now, many people also think that the United States exports little or no crude oil, but this is not true. We are also a large exporter, not anything compared to Canada and Saudi Arabia, but still an exporter with lots of laborers working on site.
The number of oil sand employees is quickly growing. There is a problem with this; there isn’t enough housing for all of these U.S. oil laborers.
            Here are some statistics on a singular area of oil sands: North Dakota. North Dakota has become the fourth largest oil-producing state in the country.[6] In October of 2010, there were almost 150 oil and gas drilling rigs operating in North Dakota.[7] These new oil operations require many people, resulting in more than 7,000 laborers migrating to North Dakota, and North Dakota’s unemployment rate dropping to 3.6 percent.[8] This is a fantastic improvement! However, this also means that there is a significant need for, and shortage of, housing. Plus, remember we are only talking about North Dakota. Each well in the Bakken Formation in North Dakota creates over 100 direct and indirect jobs.[9] As you surely know, all of these laborers need a place to sleep.
            In Tioga, North Dakota, new camps for the laborers have been built—much like a community.[10] Before the camps were built it was nearly impossible for newly inflated workforce to find a place to stay. It is amazing the difference a place to sleep makes in the employees’ moral! Furthermore, even though Tioga has temporary camps built, they need more.
SnapSpace Solutions can build housing for these folks quickly, and if the need does not remain forever, this housing can be removed quickly. In other words, if within a said period of time it is evident that the extra housing is no longer needed, then the housing can be removed until again necessary for more laborers, or it can be moved to a different location where there is a need for it.
            Another city where housing is needed is Williston, North Dakota.[11] Motel rooms in Williston are booked solid, some for years.[12] Rents have quadrupled, and many people are such in need for housing that they commute two or more hours each day.[13] Clearly the camps currently available are not nearly enough.
            SnapSpace Solutions offers, no pun intended, a “solution” to this. SnapSpace can provide quick, affordable, and high-quality camps for the oil workers. They can be temporary, can be moved very easily and quickly, and are made precisely to the customer’s specifications.  


[1] http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/05/oil_imports.html
[2] http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/05/oil_imports.html
[3] http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/05/oil_imports.html
[4] http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/05/oil_imports.html
[5] http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/05/oil_imports.html
[6] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/oct/01/north-america-oil-sands-shales
[7] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/oct/01/north-america-oil-sands-shales
[8] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/oct/01/north-america-oil-sands-shales
[9] http://www.oiljobfinder.com/north_dakota_oil_jobs.php
[10] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/north-dakota-oil-boom-creates-camps-of-men.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
[11] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/north-dakota-oil-boom-creates-camps-of-men.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
[12] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/north-dakota-oil-boom-creates-camps-of-men.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
[13] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/north-dakota-oil-boom-creates-camps-of-men.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

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