North Dakota oil and natural gas producers are facing multiple roadblocks to increasing production amid a historically tight global oil market, the state’s top regulator said this week.

Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) director Lynn Helms discussed the challenges, along with the state’s production, drilling, permitting and natural gas flaring statistics for January, in his latest monthly press briefing.

U.S. operators are in position to replace about 750,000 b/d or so of the roughly 5 million b/d of Russian oil exports subject to sanctions amid the war in Ukraine, Helms estimated. However, this will likely take 12-18 months. 

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