North Dakota’s mineral resources director says July was a good month for oil and gas production in North Dakota.
"We saw a one percent increase in oil production and a one percent increase in natural gas production," said Lynn Helms during his monthly "Director's Cut" briefing.
Helms said oil production was at 1.18 million barrels a day.
"Another two percent, or two more months like that, and we will top that 1.2 million barrels that we have been anticipating," Helms said. He said it has been a while since North Dakota was producing 1.2 million barrels per day.
As for natural gas, Helms called it "historic."
"The state of North Dakota has never before produced over 100 billion cubic feet of natural gas in a month," Helms said. "That's a new record."
And Helms said the state is capturing 96 percent of that gas.
But on the down side, Helms said the number of drilling rigs operating in North Dakota has dropped from 37 in June, July and August to 33 in September.
"A lot of it is workforce," Helms said. "Also, I would say the second largest influence is the amount of merger and acquisition, and development along those lines, that are taking place."