The creation of fossil fuels: What's on the Hi-Line

A geologist explained how coal, oil and natural gas are created, and why that means a huge boom of production on the Hi-Line is not likely in the next few years, during a lecture Tuesday in Havre.

Jay Gunderson of the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology said the geology and geological history of north-central Montana has led to large deposits of coal and natural gas, but access to oil is not so likely.

"The geology here in north-central Montana is not so good for generating oil, " he said during the energy on the Hi-Line lecture series at Montana State University-Northern.

Gunderson said fo...