While national reports of gasoline dropping to less than $3a gallon had consumers almost everywhere revving their engines forjoy, in North Dakota, the mood was a little different.

“Some of the oil producers here wouldn't be too excited [byfalling prices],” said Melanie Stillwell, president/CEO of $345million Western Cooperative Credit Union, who oversees the onlyfinancial cooperative in Williston, N.D.

Until about five years ago, Western Cooperative was a leadingagricultural lender in an area known for its wheat and barleyproduction and little else. But then new drilling technology and anincreasing demand for domestic oil led to the tapping of themassive Bakken oil reserve two miles below those fields and life innorthwestern North Dakota and parts of eastern Montana abruptlychanged.