Well completion activity is on the rise in North Dakota, likely heralding a surge in oil and gas production and underscoring the need for more natural gas egress capacity, state regulators said Friday (July 14). Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) Director Lynn Helms and North Dakota Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad held a press conference…
North Dakota Department Mineral Resources
Articles from North Dakota Department Mineral Resources

North Dakota Natural Gas Production Holding Steady Amid Sub-$2 Prices
North Dakota reported flat growth in natural gas production in March versus February, with producers signaling no plans to curb output despite low prices in the Bakken Shale, according to the state’s Department of Mineral Resources (DMR). DMR’s Lynn Helms, Oil and Gas Division director, hosted a press briefing last week to discuss the March…

Hess, Nabors, Halliburton to Fund North Dakota Tribal Apprenticeship Program
The North Dakota Tribal College System (NDTCS) is partnering with three leading oil and gas companies on an apprenticeship program to develop a homegrown workforce in the energy sector and other trades. Persistent labor shortages have plagued the Williston Basin, home to the mighty Bakken Shale, one of the Lower 48’s major oil and gas…

North Dakota Markets Record Natural Gas Volumes, Reports Three-Year Permitting High
North Dakota posted a 1.5% month/month increase in natural gas production and a record high volume of gas captured in July, despite a 2.5% decline in oil output. Natural gas production averaged 3.1 Bcf/d, of which 3 Bcf/d or 94% was captured and sent to market while the remaining 6% was flared off, according to…

North Dakota Natural Gas Production Surges as Capture Rate Holds Steady
Natural gas production in North Dakota swelled by 9.7% in June versus May to 3.06 Bcf/d, while oil production rose 3.5% to 1.1 million b/d, according to the latest figures from the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC). The increases reflect a full recovery from disruptions caused by April snowstorms, as well as strong market fundamentals…

Oil, Natural Gas Activity Creeping Upward in North Dakota as Labor Challenges Persist
Active drilling rigs, hydraulic fracturing crews and drilling permits all are creeping upward in North Dakota, though workforce challenges remain a hindrance to faster growth, the state’s top oil regulator said Tuesday (July 19). North Dakota had 42 active rigs as of Tuesday (July 19), which also was the monthly average for June. This is…

North Dakota Oil, Natural Gas Activity at Two-Year High Despite Labor Shortage
North Dakota’s tally of active oil and natural gas drilling rigs and hydraulic fracturing (frack) crews has risen to levels not seen since the start of the pandemic, the state’s top oil and gas regulator said Friday. The rig count stood at 40 as of Friday, the highest since March 2020, North Dakota Department of…

Bakken Looking to Grow Oil Reserves on EOR, Technology
The Bakken Shale is coming back strong in the months ahead as producers secure more permits and boosted by improved technologies, according to North Dakota officials. North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms said at the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference in Bismarck, ND, earlier this month that he had signed orders for another…