From the left, Ron Ness, president, North Dakota Petroleum Council; Terry Boyd, vice president of Southern Region, Nabors Drilling; Scott Reid, area manager, Nabors Drilling, and his wife, Wendy; Victor Villegas, vice president of Northern Region, Nabors Drilling; and Blu Hulsey, chairman, NDPC. Scott Reid received the NDPC Distinguished Leader Award on Sept. 25.

BISMARCK – Scott Reid, of Nabors Drilling, has led Nabors in North Dakota throughout the growth of the Bakken.

A native of Kenmare, Reid is the area manager for Nabors Drilling in Williston and manages operations in North Dakota and Montana. He has worked in the drilling industry for 35 years.

The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) presented Reid with the Distinguished Leader Award at their annual meeting in Fargo on Sept. 25. The award acknowledges members of the industry who go beyond the normal call of duty to help educate the public and support outreach activities to build community relations.

“Scott is a great asset to our industry and the communities where Nabors operates and his hometown of Kenmare where he helps with fundraising and events,” said Ron Ness, NDPC president. “We can always count on Scott to be supportive and engaged, always offering his help and wisdom on local issues, working with local community officials, giving tours, or supporting industry and the Petroleum Council through sponsorships and support.”

A graduate of Kenmare High School, Reid started working for Grace Drilling that year, then with Nabors Drilling since 2003 when they acquired Grace, according to NDPC information. He was promoted to drilling superintendent in North Dakota in 2001 and then spent one year working in Colorado. He was promoted to area manager of North Dakota in 2004.

Leading Nabors in North Dakota throughout the growth of the Bakken, at one point Nabors, under Reid’s leadership, had 57 rigs operating with 1,500 employees in the Williston Basin. Today Nabors has 23 rigs and 600 employees in the Basin but they are drilling wells at twice the pace of just a few years ago, according to NDPC information.

Reid served on the NDPC Board of Directors from 2004 to 2010. He is a member of the Williston API and has participated in the Bakken Cook Fests since they started, often partnering with Cajun friends to take home several first-place awards.

He helped the Minot community after the flood in 2011, cooking many meals and even donating a block of rooms to flood victims for a week.

He has also helped coordinate many tours over the years, which play a vital role in educating the public, policymakers, teachers and students.

When Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, was making a trip to Williston for a tour it was short notice and not for the public. Without hesitation Reid set up the tour and made it happen. The tour turned into world news and opened the eyes of Zuckerberg and his 90 million Facebook followers about the Bakken.

Reid and his wife, Wendy, have two children and two grandchildren and currently live in Mandan.

“Scott is a great example of a distinguished leader. He works hard, is committed to getting the job done right, he makes those around him better, and he’s more than happy to let others get the credit and publicity,” Ness said.

Others honored during the September annual meeting included:

– Terry Kovacevich, Dickinson, Marathon Oil, inducted into NDPC Hall of Fame.

– Doug Goehring, N.D. Agriculture Commissioner, Outstanding Public Service Award.

– Denbury Resources, corporate headquarters in Plano, Texas, with operations in North Dakota, Excellence in Safety Award.

– GTUIT, headquartered in Billings, Mont., with Operations and Maintenance Facility in Arnegard, Environmental Stewardship Award.

– ConocoPhillips, Community Engagement Award.

(Prairie Profile is a weekly feature profiling interesting people in our region. We welcome suggestions from our readers. Call Editor Mike Sasser at 857-1959 or Regional Editor Eloise Ogden at 857-1944. Either can be reached at 1-800-735-3229. You also can send e-mail suggestions to msasser@minotdailynews.com.)