Business

A humbling comedown in North Dakota's Oil Patch

WILLISTON -- Dave Van Assche didn't fret too much when oil prices started to slide in late 2014. The postal services business he had built over three short years was thriving, catering to the tens of thousands of people who, like him, had streame...

By Reuters Media

May 18, 2016 at 10:05 AM

1/4: A shuttered business sits idle on the "Million Dollar Way" in Williston, North Dakota, U.S. May 15, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Cullen

2/4: A tanker truck drives through downtown Williston, North Dakota, U.S. May 15, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Cullen

3/4: An empty lot advertises dirt for sale near newly built apartment buildings in Williston, North Dakota April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Cullen

4/4: Ben Carson, a carpenter, sits by himself at the bar inside the Williston Brewing Company in Williston, North Dakota, U.S. May 15, 2016. Revenue at the restaurant is down sixty percent from its peak three years ago, according to the owner. REUTERS/Andrew Cullen