Photos From Inside North Dakota’s Oil Boom Town

A gas flare is seen at an oil well site on July 26, 2013 outside Williston, North Dakota. Gas flares are created when excess flammable gases are released by pressure release valves during the drilling for oil and natural gas.

Ray Gerish, a floor hand for Raven Drilling, works on an oil rig drilling into the Bakken shale formation on July 28, 2013.

An oil drilling rig is seen in an aerial view in the early morning hours of July 30, 2013 near Watford City. N.D.

Gold plated belt buckles reading, "Rockin' the Bakken, Williston, North Dakota" are displayed at Ritter Brothers Diamond Cutters on July 24, 2013 in Williston.

Street signs sit in front of empty lots in a new subdivision on July 24, 2013 in Williston.

Two girls play on a four-wheeler in a new subdivision on July 24, 2013 in Williston.

Construction workers specializing in pipe-laying grill lunch while working on a pipeline that will stream line oil production from drill sites to train yards and oil refineries on July 25, 2013 outside Watford City.

Sections of pipe are lined up before being used to drill at Raven Drilling's oil rig on July 28, 2013 outside Watford City.

Russell Girsh, a floor hand for Raven Drilling, helps line up a pipe while drilling for oil in the Bakken shale formation on July 23, 2013 outside Watford City.

A coal-burning energy plant is seen in an aerial view in the early morning hours of July 30, 2013 near Bismarck.