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Sept. oil production dips 2.5 %; gas production down 2.25 %

Dave Thompson
/
Prairie Public

After a record-setting August, September oil and gas production dropped slightly.

"I think the best way to describe September is 'soggy,'" said North Dakota Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms at his monthly "Director's Cut" briefing.

Helms said he had predicted that September would be down.

"I was anticipating maybe as much as 7 1/2 percent," Helms said. "Fortunately, that didn't happen."

The report showed a drop of about 37,000 barrels a day – or about 2 1/2 percent. Natural gas production was down by about 2.2 percent.

Helms said he does expect the October numbers will be better.

"We may even set a new record in  October," Helms said. "But we have to recall that winter came to us in October."

Helms said October had a lot of cold and snowy weather. But he still thinks October will be back to August numbers, or a bit above.

Gas capture also ticked up a little in September, in terms of percentage. In September, 82 percent of the gas was captured – compared to 81 percent on August. But that’s not up to the 88 percent capture goal, established by the state Industrial Commission.

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