Environmental Stewardship

Fidelity and the family of companies within WBI Holdings and MDU Resources, have three primary environmental goals:

• Minimize waste and maximize resources.
• Support environmental laws and regulations that are based on sound science and cost-effective technology.
• Comply with or exceed all applicable environmental laws, regulations and permit requirements.

The corporation does this through its established operational practices and by leading or participating in a number of programs that help ensure a viable environment. Corporate policy specifically addresses environmental practices. The Environmental Policy directs that the corporation will operate efficiently to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

All of the MDU Resources’ companies strive to meet or exceed laws and regulatory requirements in all operations. The companies endeavor to minimize land disturbances while maximizing resource extraction. The companies engage in wildlife protection practices, promote emission reduction and fuel conservation, work with wildlife regulatory agencies, develop water enhancement practices, ensure water quality protection, control and prevent the spread of noxious weeds, promote noise reduction, and implement programs to develop and enhance public spaces in the communities they serve.

Efficient and responsible energy development plays a key role in the life of each and every American.  In continuing our mission to responsibly develop energy resources, we rely on sound science and fact-based decision-making.

Fidelity has received major awards for its commitment to community outreach and environmental stewardship.  We will maintain our commitment to responsible energy development and demonstrate this commitment at every opportunity. View a summary of Fidelity’s environmental awards.

Hydraulic Fracturing

The first commercial application of hydraulic fracturing occurred on March 17, 1949, on a well in southwestern Oklahoma. Since that first stimulation treatment, hydraulic fracturing has done more to increase recoverable reserves than any other technique in the energy industry. In addition, it has done so without harmful effects to the environment.

According to the article Data Confirm Safety of Well Fracturing in the July 2010 issue of The American Oil & Gas Reporter (AOGR), more than 2 million hydraulic fracturing treatments have occurred since 1949 with no documented case of aquifer pollution. The AOGR also reports that as many as 90 percent of all gas wells completed in the United States have been fractured, and the process continues to be applied in new and innovative ways to boost production of American energy resources. Hydraulic fracturing is now responsible for 30 percent of domestic oil and natural gas reserves, and has aided in extracting more than 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 7 billion barrels of oil. According to the National Petroleum Council, 60 to 80 percent of all wells drilled during the next decade will require fracturing to remain viable.

Part of the reason for an increase in use of hydraulic fracturing is simply because all of the “easy” drilling is over. Gone are the days of simply punching a hole in the ground and expecting oil and natural gas to come out unaided much like the opening scene in the 1960s television show “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Going forward, new oil and natural gas supplies will be developed from unconventional resources such as the tight shale formations now being exploited, including the Bakken formation in North Dakota, the Marcellus Shale in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and the Barnett Shale in Texas.

Fidelity Exploration & Production Company has used hydraulic fracturing in most of its production areas for decades. With fracturing, combined with sophisticated horizontal drilling, new supplies of natural gas and oil resources are being safely produced by Fidelity and other energy producers across the country. 

MDU Resources and its operating companies believe that we have a responsibility to use natural resources efficiently and minimize the environmental impact of our activities. We accomplish these goals through established operational practices and by leading or participating in a number of programs that help ensure a viable environment.

Sustainability Reporting

The word “sustainability” has become a popular part of society’s discussions about the future, although misunderstanding of the concept is still widespread. It is most frequently linked to the environment, but sustainability covers social and economic responsibilities, risks and, yes, even opportunities.

Sustainability means the corporation should manage its business with a long-term view, instead of focusing only on the next fiscal quarter. At Fidelity, that’s not a new concept. It comes naturally because, when you boil it down to the simplest form, the corporation is in the business of sustaining the lifestyle Americans have come to expect and demand.