STANLEY -- Area and state officials gathered to celebrate the grand opening of EOG Resources Stanley Field Office Thursday afternoon.

Approximately 40 people listened to remarks from EOG Resources Chief Executive Officer Mark Papa, BNSF Railway CEO Matthew Rose and Gov. John Hoeven.

The new field office is 21,630 square feet with enough space for 70 employees and staff. Construction for the two-story office and 7,500 square foot warehouse and shop adjacent to it took about eight months.

Papa told those in attendance about the new facility and how it will enhance their drilling activities in the Bakken.

Papa spoke of the importance of the country weaning itself off of foreign oil. He said that each barrel produced in plays such as the Bakken means one less that the country imports from elsewhere. Papa added that the United States' peak oil production was 10 million barrels per day in 1970 and have declined to just over 5 million today. With the help of facilities such as the Stanley field office the country will be able to "eventually turn around a 40-year decline in production."

Hoeven praised EOG for it's work in the state and the business partners they they bring with them to North Dakota.

He said their work and that of other oil companies is important to the state.

"We also understand that it's important that we build this up over time and sustain it," said Hoeven.

TOURING AREA FACILITIES

The group then departed for a tour of the nearby EOG Rail Facility. Those in attendance were able to walk the length of the nearly 900-foot-long loading platform and climb into the engine car of a BNSF train parked inside.

EOG Resources Government Relations Director Eric Dille said the facility was built with a target capacity of 100,000 barrels per day.

"We're sending about 30,000 barrels per day now," said Dille.

Dille explained that the loading platform can load 14 cars simultaneously.

Outside are two massive storage tanks capable of holding 60,000 barrels of oil each.

The final stop of the tour was a visit to Pecan Pipeline Company's gas plant. Pecan Pipeline is a subsidiary of EOG Resources.

Members of the tour were shown the plant, which has an 80 million cubic feet per day capacity.

The plant is the first in the world to produce and transport what is known as Dense Phase gas. Dense Phase gas is gas that due to temperature and pressure remains in a dense state in the gas pipeline.