America's boomtown

**alaskaguy** · 10-25-2011, 08:14 PM

is Williston, North Dakota.

Forget Vegas. Strippers are discovering they can make ten times as much dancing in the oil boomtown of Williston, N.D.

My best girls would rather dance here than in Vegas, because they make more money here

Links:
America's Boomtown: Strippers can make $3,000 a night - Oct. 25, 2011
Oil boom brings high-paying jobs to North Dakota - Sep. 28, 2011

**Dopey** · 10-25-2011, 08:16 PM

Not referring to the strippers, but....

I wonder where I'd be if I accepted that job offer from Halliburton out of school a couple years ago. Probably North Dakota. But more of a financial rhetorical question...... ****.

**Tank** · 10-25-2011, 08:17 PM

Unless they are flying the strippers in to North Dakota like they do in Vegas, I would have to pass on this!

**thatguy** · 10-25-2011, 08:20 PM

have a couple friends quit their jobs here in Denver to go work in North Dakota for a year for the oil companies. Apparently its a huge thing now. And yes, they fly the woman in, as there aren't a ton of woman working in that industry.

**heyguy85** · 10-25-2011, 08:49 PM

It would make perfect sense if you were single to go there and make some money. Probably a little harder to convince your wife to go there, and even harder to go if you have a family.

**Tre4ISU** · 10-25-2011, 08:53 PM

I have a buddy working for Haliburton in ND. Also one in Fargo working for FDIC. I guess, in Fargo, there is a large abundance of hot chicks.

**besserheimerphat** · 10-25-2011, 08:54 PM

A friend of mine worked for Schlumberger for a couple years out of college. He made a ton of money, but the 3-weeks-on-1-week-off schedule didn't leave him a lot of time to actually do anything with it. Plus he was out in the middle of nowhere in Utah and Montana. It's something a guy could do for a little while to make money, then leave to get start a life and career with very little debt.

I know that when the oil sands were booming in norther Alberta, they were paying pipe fitters with very little education and experience over $100,000 per year to turn a wrench. Fort McMurray has boomed from 8000 people to nearing 100,000 people over the course of a decade (maybe less) because there aren't enough people to fill all the jobs, and even the "diploma not required" jobs for the oil companies are paying serious jack. When I was up there in 2007 for work, there were people living out of tents year round because the construction companies couldn't build houses fast enough.

*Edit - I forgot to add that some "talent" was shipped in from Calgary and Edmonton in 2 week shifts to keep the roughnecks entertained. Trying to stay on topic...

**Tre4ISU** · 10-25-2011, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by besserheimerphat

A friend of mine worked for Schlumberger for a couple years out of college. He made a ton of money, but the 3-weeks-on-1-week-off schedule didn't leave him a lot of time to actually do anything with it. Plus he was out in the middle of nowhere in Utah and Montana. It's something a guy could do for a little while to make money, then leave to get start a life and career with very little debt.

I know that when the oil sands were booming in norther Alberta, they were paying pipe fitters with very little education and experience over $100,000 per year to turn a wrench. Fort McMurray has boomed from 8000 people to nearing 100,000 people over the course of a decade (maybe less) because there aren't enough people to fill all the jobs, and even the "diploma not required" jobs for the oil companies are paying serious jack. When I was up there in 2007 for work, there were people living out of tents year round because the construction companies couldn't build houses fast enough.

*Edit - I forgot to add that some "talent" was shipped in from Calgary and Edmonton in 2 week shifts to keep the roughnecks entertained. Trying to stay on topic...

Oh no, we're going off topic...........

Pictures or it didn't happen.

**all2matt** · 10-25-2011, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by yaman3

Oh no, we're going off topic...........

Pictures or it didn't happen.

I live out here in Bismarck and were 150 miles from wiliston but the impacts are being seen here to. The Bakken basin covers the whole NW corner of the state. If u want a job GO THERE, but bring your camper. There is no housing in the area. Between the flood in Minot and oil to the west the houses/apts that are available are going for 2 to 3 times as much as they would in Des Moines, CR, Ames, IC, Omaha, etc....

**besserheimerphat** · 10-25-2011, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by yaman3

Oh no, we're going off topic...........

Pictures or it didn't happen.

Unfortunately it was only a 72 hour total trip split between Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray so I didn't get any personal experience. But I was told this by multiple sales reps who spend significant time at Fort McMurray. Actually they said that just about anyone in the service industries (waitresses, cooks, hotel managers, etc) were treated the same way because Fort Mac is a pretty rough town and they can't get non-oil people to stay there. They face the same lack of housing and other resources, but don't make enough money to live there so they usually stay in employer-owned apartments.

**thatguy** · 10-25-2011, 11:06 PM

god i love whores.

**MilehighClone** · 10-25-2011, 11:09 PM

The Bakken one of the bright spots in the economy, but played out from an investment standpoint.

**MaragaretLean** · 11-05-2011, 12:31 AM

For those wondering where to go to escape the fear of the downturn, consider North Dakota. CNN notes that while six-figure salaries are possible, the path to the cash isn't really for every person. The North Dakota oil boom, centered on the Bakken oil development, has kept the state's joblessness rate the lowest in the United States at 3.5 percent and I read it from here North Dakota oil boom brings jobs aplenty. Large oil signifies a large number of jobs - if candidates can hack grueling hours, lack of housing and harsh winter months.

**Bobber** · 11-05-2011, 08:17 AM

If I wa 18 again and not as tied in with family, would make a bee line up there. What an opportunity to make some serious cash.

I had a friend who did a similar thing out of high school and he was smart enough to save the money and then roll it into a contracting business. The guy has never looked back and is now a muliti millionare who's fortune keeps growing.

Life's worked out pretty well for me anyway and no regrets. There are a lot of ways to climb the mountain, you just have to figure out how and keep at it.