Other states may be grappling with massive budget deficits, but North Dakota is sitting pretty, thanks to the Bakken-Three Forks shale oil deposit.

“Imagine a Tupperware container tightly packed with sand, then soaked with water representing oil deposits, sealed and then tucked away for an extended period of time,” explained the Bismarck Tribune in its “Bakken Breakout 2010” special edition. “For the first time in our state’s history,