Boom a boon

Northwest Oklahoma 1 2011

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A SandRidge Energy drilling location stands near Amorita in Alfalfa county. SandRidge Energy is doing a lot of drilling in Alfalfa County, and the company hopes to continue its ventures there. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON)
A Sandridge Energy site near Amorita in Alfalfa county. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

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March 5, 2011

Boom a boon

Alfalfa County commissioners: Oil company boosts economy

By Joe Malan, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Sat Mar 05, 2011, 07:56 PM CST

CHEROKEE — Oklahoma City-based SandRidge Energy is doing a lot of drilling in Alfalfa County, and the company hopes to continue its ventures there.

The Alfalfa County wells and rigs are part of the SandRidge firm’s Mid-Continent Horizontal Mississippian oil field, a field that encompasses counties in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas.

SandRidge owns 750,000 acres of land in the area, and 37 horizontal wells are in Alfalfa, Grant and Woods counties.

“We’re ramping up a drilling program in northern Oklahoma,” said Kevin White, senior vice president of SandRidge. “We’ve gone from a year ago this time running one rig into play, and now we’re running a dozen rigs.”

White said he expects there to be 135 to 140 wells in northern Oklahoma before long.

Many of SandRidge’s horizontal wells are in northeast Alfalfa County.

Doug Murrow, District 1 commissioner, said there’s a lot of drilling going on in Alfalfa County.

“(They’ve been drilling) for several months,” said Murrow. “I’d say close to five, six months probably.”

Murrow said the oil drilling is benefiting the local economy.

“Just in general, people have to buy groceries, go out and do different things,” Murrow said.

Chad Roach, District 2 commissioner, said SandRidge’s drilling is huge for Cherokee and the whole county.

“It’s a boost to the sales tax to have people bunking here,” Roach said. “They’re going to the grocery stores and buying food and supplies.”

There are 16 bunkhouses in Cherokee, said Don Bowman, Cherokee city manager.

Like White and Roach, Bowman said SandRidge’s activity is a huge boost to the local economy.

“It seems to be that Alfalfa County and Grant County are seeing a huge increase in sales tax,” Bowman said. “It’s been a fantastic boost to our economy. They’ve been very, very good to work with.”

White said it’s been great working with the people of Alfalfa County during SandRidge’s operations there.

“I think our relationships are probably pretty good,” White said.

White added Alfalfa County will continue to be one of the key and most active areas for SandRidge Energy’s endeavors.

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Northwest Oklahoma 1 2011

Northwest Oklahoma Part 1 2011
One of the attributes of living in Enid and Northwest Oklahoma is the abundant pride residents have in its people, land and businesses. The 2011 News & Eagle Progress edition highlights these areas and pays tribute to all of those who make our region shine 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

March 5, 2011 1 Photo
Boom a boon
SandRidge owns 750,000 acres of land in the area, and 37 horizontal wells are in Alfalfa, Grant and Woods counties.

March 5, 2011 2 Photos
Now the play begins
After years of holding small fundraisers and banking money toward the day, the money to move forward recently has come snowballing in, and the plan is to install equipment this summer.

March 5, 2011 2 Photos
It’s about time for an update

“We have building issues such as heaters and (problems with) gymnasiums and dressing rooms, and we’re trying to get some ideas what that will cost. There are tiles coming up off the floor. The tile floor we’re talking about was put in in the 1950s.” — Bob Meyer, Cherokee Public Schools interim superintendent

March 5, 2011 2 Photos
Backyard treasure is economic gold
Dr. Patty Wilber, associate dean for economic development at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, said there were 30,000 crystal diggers in 2010 after the area opened in April. She said Tulsa district’s Greg Birkenfeld estimated each visitor spent, on average, $25 a day in Alfalfa County while at the digging site.

March 5, 2011 1 Photo
Study time at the lake
“With tight budgets coming up, I don’t know how (we) will fare.” — Ross Adkins, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

March 5, 2011 2 Photos
Woodward’s carving a niche
The $7 million and more than 29,000-square-foot facility will accommodate about 650 people in a round-table event, 1,200 in lecture-type seating, 110 booth spaces and 75 people in the three training rooms, acting as a hub for multi-purpose conference and education facilitating.

March 5, 2011 2 Photos
‘A great area to call home’
Woodward Chamber of Commerce President CJ Montgomery said the city’s retail sector is looking “great.”

March 5, 2011 4 Photos
Bottled-up desire finally bubbles up into business
The business allows people to have their water for free from an artesian well located off Oklahoma 11, just north of the Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge.

March 5, 2011 3 Photos
University of culture

“Our cultural offerings probably affect several thousand people during the course of the year.” — Steve Valencia, associate vice president for university relations.

March 5, 2011 5 Photos
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Northwest Oklahoma 1 2011

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Boom a boon

Alfalfa County commissioners: Oil company boosts economy

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