Not long ago, six guys with a dream and more than 70 years of combined experience in the oil and gas industry formed a company in 2008 with the intent to develop and produce energy onshore in the United States.

Today, Ursa Resources Group LLC. based out of Houston, Texas, is looking to put together lease holds and lease mineral owners to drill within the Bakken later this year. “It’s been kind of a journey, but we’ve finally got to the point where we have some capital behind us, and we’re in business to come up there and drill some wells,” Executive Vice President Bruce Larsen said.

Larsen, a Sidney native, says his connection to the area sets his company apart from others. “There’s a motivation for me to make sure that things are done the right way and to make sure people are happy when we come up there and do stuff,” he said. Larsen is a 1994 graduate of Sidney High School and a 1998 graduate of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, where he majored in geological engineering. From there, he took a job as a geological engineer with Shell Oil where he examined seismic data to locate the best places to drill. His job took him to New Orleans, La., and Houston as well as overseas to the Netherlands. Following his tenure at Shell, Larsen took a job with a smaller company, Legend Natural Gas, working for them a few years before forming Ursa. His experience has progressed through the years but maintains his core expertise is finding oil and gas.

Larsen says he’s been anxious to come back home and is looking forward to making his company’s presence known. On Friday from 7-9 p.m. at the Triangle Night Club he is hosting a “meet and greet” social. “I want to take the opportunity to introduce myself and Ursa, and give people a chance to ask questions about what is happening in the Bakken,” he said.

The company has long-term plans to stay in the area. Though those in the company realize they’re “a little late in the game,” they say they want to keep a drilling rig busy for two to three years drilling “whatever we can lease.” Larsen said he looks forward to building roots and being visible to the public. “As we grow, we hope to have a local presence in town,” he said. “People will get to know Ursa.”

To learn more about Ursa Resources Group, visit their Web site at www.ursaresources.com.

reporter@sidneyherald.com