Bakken Shale

Production from the nation’s seven most prolific shale and tight oil regions continues to surge ever higher and is expected to reach 45.44 Bcf/d of natural gas and 5.52 b/d of oil next month, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

North America will be the hardest hit global energy region as producers pull back this year, with the Bakken Shale taking the brunt of the impact from falling rigs and capital spending cuts, a Barclays Capital analyst said Friday.

In a surprise move, Sue Ann Arnall, the ex-wife of oil baron Harold Hamm, has reportedly cashed a handwritten alimony check for nearly $1 billion.

Recognizing the growing gloom over sharply falling global oil prices, North Dakota’s chief oil/natural gas regulator Thursday told state lawmakers at a committee hearing in Bismarck that the situation doesn’t necessarily spell doom for the state’s robust energy production, which has set continuous growth records, elevating the state to the nation’s No. 2 spot in oil production.

There is no slippage in the push to build more railroad tank cars for transporting crude oil and other energy products, the CEO of a leading railcar manufacturer told financial analysts.

SM Energy Co. is selling natural gas-heavy assets in the Arkoma Basin of Oklahoma and in the Arklatex area of East Texas and northern Louisiana — its remaining Midcontinent holdings — in order to focus on its Eagle Ford and Bakken/Three Forks development areas, the company said Tuesday.

Civeo Corp., a major provider of housing to energy patch workers, especially in Canada, is slashing its workforce in the United States and Canada due to weak commodity prices and in response to oil/gas producer spending cutbacks next year.

New rules for the handling of waste that could impact oil and natural gas well sites are being examined by the North Dakota Department of Health (DOH) and should be effective in the latter half of 2015.

The continuing effort to gain traction for increased pipeline takeaway capacity from North Dakota’s Bakken shale play received a pre-holiday boost when Enid, OK-based Hiland Crude LLC extended until Jan. 23 both its local open season and its joint open season with Tallgrass’ Pony Express Pipeline to accommodate requests by interested shippers.