Host Meghan Taunton welcomes McKenzie County Commissioner Joel Brown and North Dakota State Senator Dale Patten for a recap of the 2026 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference in Bismarck. They discuss the scale and purpose of the conference, consolidation among operators, and the central "Bakken 2.0: Crack the Code" theme focused on enhanced oil recovery to increase recovery rates and extend the Bakken's productive life. The conversation explains rising gas-to-oil ratios, North Dakota's flaring reductions and gas-capture investments, and the need for additional natural gas infrastructure. They go on to cover Artificial Intelligence and data centers, local ordinance control, and tax impacts from oil and gas revenue.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

03:16 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference

09:47 Bakken 2.0 and Enhanced Oil Recovery

15:42 Energy Security and Demand

20:03 Rising Oil Gas Ratio

22:52 Natural Gas Capture and Pipelines

30:29 Competing for Capital

39:25 Utlizing Natural Gas in State

40:00 Artificial Intelligence and Data Centers

43:15 Property Taxes in North Dakota

45:10 Oil Industry Tax Revenues

54:20 Quality of Life

59:20 Local Siting and Ordinances

01:03:09 Data Center Discussion

01:08:39 Federal Lands in McKenzie County

01:13:47 Nuclear Energy

01:16:51 Closing