Submitted Photo Devin Vanatta of Dickinson, right, cuts ribs that were prepared by self-proclaimed chef Karl Bottorff of Williston, who looks on, during the Bakken Rocks Cookfest in Killdeer July 18, in this photo by Roger Riveland. Both men work for GO Wireline.

KILLDEER – The Bakken Rocks Cookfest, which is in its 14th year, was held again this year in Killdeer, coming full circle from when the event started in 2009. The cookfest was held in Killdeer and Belden in its first year.

The event has been held in two communities each year. However, this year only one event is being held, which occurred in Killdeer on July 18.

Free food was prepared by numerous oil-field companies, who tried their hands at becoming the people’s favorite. People picked up free bags and filled them with free items of every nature as they nibbled on free food. Some of the swag included padded backpacks, flashlights, pens, shirts, caps, kitchen utensils, golf balls and bubble blowers and squirt guns for children.

About 20 oil field-related companies participated in the cookfest, and each had its own flavorful menu. Crestwoods booth was popular with its handmade root beer floats.

Musical entertainment was provided by The Band Nova, a five-piece country and rock band from Dickinson.

Ron Ness of the North Dakota Petroleum Council opened the event. Speakers included Brent Sanford, former North Dakota lieutenant governor and now project manager for Bakken Global Recruitment of Oilfield Workers, or GROW, a new initiative to bring workers to the oil field through immigration, focusing initially on Ukrainians.

Other speakers during the informational session included Martin Stuart, vice president of Operations for Marathon Oil; Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources; Justin Kringstad, director of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority; and Tioga geologist Kathy Neset, owner of NESET.

Neset, who spoke on drilling, geology and the energy of the future, also had a booth showcasing Bakken geology with pieces of oil shale, a jar of crude oil and jars of crushed rock to show differences in the various levels of the Bakken shale zones. The heavy, dark black rock, if it were hot enough, would produce oil. Temperatures in the Williston Basin Bakken shale zones range between 170 to 250 degrees.

The history of the cookfest event locations is as follows:

– 2010, New Town and Tioga.

– 2011, Crosby and Watford City.

– 2012, Belfield and Ray.

– 2013, Parshall and Powers Lake.

– 2014, Dunn Center and Kenmare.

– 2015, Alexander and South Heart.

– 2016, Mandaree and Stanley.

– 2017, Medora and Westhope.

– 2018, Grenora and Twin Buttes.

– 2019, Bowman and Van Hook.

– 2021, Arnegard and Mohall.

– 2022, Trenton and White Shield.

No cookfest was held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.