The state Department of Mineral Resources has made its recommendations on how to reduce the flaring of natural gas in the Bakken.
And one of the tools that could be used is curtailing production.
State mineral resources director Lynn Helms says the Industrial Commission has the authority to curtail oil and gas production – due to market conditions. But Helms says that rule could be modified.
"Perhaps the existing gas gathering infrastructure is too small," said Helms. "Wells are connected, but they're flaring significant amounts of gas. We could curtail their production to fit the existing gathering capacity, or some percentage over that, so there is an incentive to build more and bigger."
Helms says there are also wells that are not connected to a gas gathering system. And he says there could be a delay in getting them hooked up to a gathering system.
"We could curtail production on those wells, in order to preserve the resource, to keep the oil and gas in the ground until the gathering system reaches those wells and is able to collect the gas," said Helms.
Helms says those revisions would be a part of what he called a “big hearing” – that would involve a lot of the industry. He says the other suggestions include requiring every new well to have a gas capture plan – and to meet a couple of times a year with gathering companies to take a look at the progress they’re making.
The hearing has not yet been scheduled.