Interactive Map ~ Blackfeet Indian Reservation Oil Exploration
Oil drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and now the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana and Alberta Canada is expanding. The map below shows, oil drilling and fracking activity is spread relatively evenly across the Blackfeet Reservation (Blackfeet Reservation boundary in red). The yellow icons 
are linked to photographs which also contain descriptions. The blue icons 
link to videos.
Where there is oil drilling or fracking activity in the photograph, I tried to capture the relationship between Glacier National Park and the drilling. In other cases, the images are of wide open, undeveloped prairie or mountain prairie interface all leased for drilling. To see a more detailed description of this project, please visit, “Oil Drilling – the Rocky Mountain Front and Blackfeet Indian Reservation.”
These images were gathered starting in 2010. I will continue to add new photos and expand this project to include images of the social and cultural impacts of such rapid change. Back to the map, there are some windmill icons on the far eastern edge of the map, and just east of the Reservation boundary that represent wind power development. The areas is called Ethridge, MT. The area where no wind turbines are shown it the Kevin Rim, it is scheduled for a wind farm. The area has the highest density of nesting cliff raptors in Montana.
Please consider signing up for my updates (right column) and donating to this cause. This is a self funded, interdependent project, I have no sponsors. Since the project went live, I have recieved some gennerous contrabutions from people all over the world. Today, private contributions amount to about $2,000. This project would not have made it to the world wide web, without the tireless dedication and hard of Stacy Dolderer, the brains behind the platform and the web guru. Please help us keep this project alive by donating at the link below the map; any amount will help. Thank you very much!
A Blackfeet Oil Drilling Press Kit containing project information and photographs to accompany your story is available.
**NOTE Clicking the place markers twice will open the balloon to it’s full size.
19 Responses to “Interactive Map ~ Blackfeet Indian Reservation Oil Exploration”
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cool topic, very relevant now!
Thank you Morgan. I think this project touches on so much of what’s going on today. Energy, environment, climate change, land use, cultural change, water and air pollution, and energy demand. The one thing that is most compelling about this place is it’s uniqueness to the world. Glacier National Park, the Rocky Mountain Front, and the Blackfeet Nation. Grizzly bears live on the prairie, horses and buffalo move around freely and life is clean. I’m afraid with all this rapid change will come serious consequences if things are not carefully managed, and so far what I have seen leads me to believe that the oil is the goal. Thank you for your interest! Tony
Tony,
Send me address and any other information. If you’re asking for help I’m willing to do the little I can do. MJ
For anyone that wants to make a donation by mail, you can do so by mailing it to: Tony Bynum PO Box 441 East Glacier Park, MT 59434
Thank you! Tony
Thank you guys! I hope i can help raise awareness for of this activity and educate a few people about what’s going on around glacier park, the badger two medicine, the rocky mountain front and the crown of the continent. For everyone that donates I’m sending out a signed print of glacier park . . . Thank you for your help. PO Box 441 East Glacier Park, MT 59434.
Tony, can you tell me how the drillers are managing the waste frac water? Are they disposing of it down deep wells, as is often the case? The reason for my question is that I am the Chief Technology Officer for EnviroSolve Technologies and we have a technology that may be the first step in cleaning the frac water (removing the oil and suspended solids. I am also on the board of another company, New Sky Energy, that has technologies under development that will be able to complete the final step in the cleanup of the frac water. We will be doing some testing and refinement over the next few months. While I would love to see the drilling and fracturing process stop, I don’t think that is viable. But I do think cleaning the water prior to disposal will at least minimize some of the negative impacts.
From what I have observed, the fracking waste water is being pumped down hole into a “dry” hole. What’s being done to clean the water is unknown to me. Thank you for the information.
Tony
All frac water produced on Blackfeet is required to be disposed of off Rez. Currectly, the Blackfeet frac water is being injected down a brine water well near Choteau, MT.
Robin, that is correct. Thank you for pointing out the location, I failed to mention that it was off-reservation. I was told that the Tribal Council would not allow the used frac waste water to be injected or evaporated on the reservation. How true this is I dont know. I do know, as Robin rightly pointed out, that an alternative location south of the reservation was found. Robin, can you tell us if the water is treated before it’s pumped down the “brine” hole? Thank you again Robbin.
Pretty sure the frac water is not treated before injection. The landowner will surely rue the day those chickens come home to roost.
Tony, I could not get the donate button to work. It sent me to a failed pay pal site. Will send you a check. C.
Hi Charles, I have tested the Donate button and the PayPal process and it seems to be working now. If you prefer that format go ahead and try again. We appreciate your time and support for this important project!
Stacy
Wow, thank you for making this map and taking the photos and video. This is very disturbing, and the map helps make it clear to any viewer just how pervasive it is. I will share this with my networks.
Thank you Peter. I appreciate your support. I will be adding and updating as things change. Thank you again. Tony
My 91 year old grandmother, Ruth Plank Barrett, was born and raised on the high-line near Chester, MT. When I showed her this map all she had to say was, “This will be what happens to Montana.”
I was once again startled by her wisdom…thank you for documenting what is happening to our state.
Stacy, lets hope that we can continue to maintain a healthy environment for our residents and the people from around the world that come to Montana for it’s peaceful and hospitality and incredible environment! It’s encouraging to hear from the elders of our great state that they understand the value in what we have is in maintaining an intact and healthy environment. I think we can maintain some level of extraction but there are places that have more value, in the long run, both financially and aesthetically, if left open and untrammeled . . . Thanks for sharing your grandmother’s wisdom, and for all that you’ve done for this project! Tony
Update: There are three new drill rigs along the front. One new one went up and is now gone near the air strip, west of Browning. The second is erected and drilling up near the US Canadian boarder along the Saint Mary’s River, and the third, is south, off the reservation, west of Bynum, MT. There’s been scads of news of late. Communities are holding meetings and getting ready for the “boom.” I’m on my way to one of those meetings right now! More later.
I’d like to send out special thank you to those that have contributed to the cause. This is an expensive project and your contributions help offset the hard costs. This project would not be possible without your help! Thank you! Tony Bynum
As a former Montanan, grew up in Great Falls unitl I was 23. I apprceiate what your doing. However, what I remember about Browning was you didn’t want to go there. You may want to show some photos of Browning to give the full presective of what happens there. I do beleive there needs to be a realationship between our energy needs and our environment. But you can’t say not in my back yard no matter how pretty it is. That plane you fly arround in can’t depend on Saudi oil if you want us out of the middle east, thats just common sense. Sometime common sense is the last thing people think about when it comes to there back yards. Evan though I left Montana to find a job I go there every year for a couple of weeks and I see the changes. I don’t like them, they say you can never go back but I do. The places I used to go fishing are on the internet now, 20 years ago I never saw a soul. Now everybody and there mother are there. We need to protect Glacier and this is a great thing your doing, but temper your prospective with a base of reality. I know in your mind thats not possible and your way may just be the best for Glacier. Lord knows our politicians could use helping hand to send them on there self promoting ways.
Thanks for you comments Jeff. Using some oil to document the development of oil production is a wise use of a scarce resource. As you know, oil is a global commondity it is sold, no matter where it’s produced, to the highest bidder. This project is about the oil development on the Reservation and along the Rocky Mountain Front. There are plans to include a social component. Thank you for taking the time to comment and may your future trips to Montana be bright! If you are interested, Tristan Scott of the Missoulian did a story about my project, it appeared in the April 11th issue. If you are interested, you can read the full text here: Photographer Documents Oil Development on the Blackfeet Reservation.