WILLISTON, N.D.- July was a record-breaking month for oil and gas production in North Dakota, according to the most recent figures from the sate.
Drillers in the Bakken shale set records for oil and natural gas production and the number of producing wells, according to Lynn Helms of North Dakota’s Department of Mineral Resources. The report was released Friday.
In July, drillers produced 1.27 million barrels a day, about a 3 percent increase over the previous month, the agency reported. It was the highest monthly amount since the agency started tracking these numbers.
Natural gas production also hit a high at 2.4 million MCF (thousand cubic feet) in July, also a record.
And the number of producing wells also set a new all-time high for North Dakota, with 14,972 wells in production, according to the agency.
On the down side, for the third consecutive month, North Dakota failed to meet its gas capture goals.
The daily volume of gas flared was up to 45.4 million MCF in July, which could trigger regulatory action such as production restrictions on some wells, according to The Williston, N.D. Herald.
Mineral Resources director Lynn Helms told The Herald the flaring problem is now prompting the state to invest more into the feasibility of storing unprocessed gas underground.
The price of brent crude oil, a typical U.S. benchmark, closed at $78.71 Monday.
Story by Jay Kohn, MTN News
