North Dakota’s the land of opportunity for people looking for jobs in the oil and gas industry.

The fracking boom has transformed the western part of the state — often overwhelming the small towns that dot the prairie. Todd Melby’s been keeping track of the comings and goings of workers in the oil field.

Recently, he talked to a Razorback who moved there to make ribs for roughnecks, a guy named Oscar Everetts. You can take Oscar out of Arkansas, but you can’t take Arkansas out of…. You know how it goes.

Todd Melby’s series, “Black Gold Boom,” is an initiative of Prairie Public and the Association for Independents in Radio.