Fort Peck Tribes Get $1M to Drill in Montana

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Montana's Fort Peck tribes are getting a $1 million from the federal government for equipment to expand oil drilling and manufacturing on the rural reservation at the edge of the booming Bakken oil field.

U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson said Thursday the economic development grant could create 15 new jobs and leverage more than $600,000 in private investment.

The money will support the expansion of a metal fabrication facility by Fort Peck Tech Services, a tribe-affiliated company.

It will also buy equipment to advance oil exploration and drilling activities in the Bakken formation, which is partially located on the Reservation.