Bakken Output Loses 50%
The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) reported last week that the state's oil output dropped more than 50% in April.
Related: Has the Bakken Peaked?
During the month of April, North Dakota pumped 1,041,007 barrels of oil per day (bpd), 70,414 bpd less than March, according to the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources (DMR).
Low crude prices and bad weather are being blamed on the record drop in production as producers are were forced to cut back the drilling and fracking of new wells.
“Roughly half of the calendar days of the month, the wind was 36 miles an hour or higher, sustained winds and no capability to frack wells,” Helms said. “This is an abnormally high production drop.”
Currently, There are only 28 drilling rigs in the state compared to 77 one year ago. Other important stats for North Dakota include:
- 1,590 inactive wells during April (up from 67 in March)
- Zero drilling rigs operating in Williams County, home to Williston
- 66 drilling permits were issued in April and 42 in May
- Natural gas production fell from 1.7 million cubic feet per day (cf/d) in March to 1.6 million cf/d per day in April