Harold Hamm spoke out against Robert Harms' recent comments regarding a "moderated approach" to oil and gas development in North Dakota in an interview with Forum News Service.

Hamm makes the case that the industry has already slowed down quite a bit from the frantic pace of exploration and is now developing leases in a more orderly fashion.

One example is the Bakken rig count. It's down almost 20% from the peak.Multiple wells are being drilled from a single pad and operators are using what they've learned through exploration to drive down drill times.

A further slow down could have unforeseen ramifications for a industry that has turned North Dakota into an economic powerhouse.