North Dakota’s operators have achieved a 93% natural gas capture rate statewide in September, when month/month oil and gas production increased. 

In the state’s Bakken Shale, home of robust supplies of sweet light crude oil that is rich with associated gas, flaring has been excessive as production growth outpaced efforts to build sufficient midstream takeaway infrastructure over the past decade.

With flaring percentages exceeding 30% and volumes of lost gas accelerating, the state and industry worked collaboratively to establish a program of phased goals for reducing the flared supplies over a six-year period ending in November this year with a 91% capture goal.

State Department of Minerals Resources Director Lynn Helms said he was “very, very happy” with the latest...