Water to oil
By STU MERRY
The saying goes that oil and water don’t mix. But recently, thanks to a little intervention and coaxing by some coal being used to generate electricity, the two couldn’t be more of a perfect pair – especially at Great River Energy’s Coal Creek Station near Falkirk and Stanton Station in Mercer County.
In the fall of 2012, SBG Energy Services LLC and Headwaters Resources Inc. (HRI), partnered to supply hot water to the North Dakota oil industry. The hot water is used in the hydraulic fracturing process to assist in opening veins in the oil formations deep underground.
In turn, HRI entered into an exclusive agreement with GRE to acquire its excess hot water from Coal Creek Station and Stanton Station. It was a win-win for all involved.
