North Dakota’s Industrial Commission (IC) has asked the state legislature to authorize pursuing options to add oil and natural gas storage for the Bakken Shale.

North Dakota production

The governor-led commission “pre-filed a bill for next year’s legislature to take on permitting of oil, gas and natural gas liquids storage,” said Department of Mineral Resources director Lynn Helms. “Those are critical infrastructure pieces.”

To convert part of an oilfield for storage would require approval by the same percentage of surface landowners (55%) as required in field unitization, Helms said. All of the landowners would have to be “equitably compensated” by the storage operators.

When at least 55% of the landowners approve pore leasing space for gas storage or a salt cavern for natural gas...