BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum released the following statement today regarding North Dakota setting a new record for oil production at 1,244,629 barrels of oil per day in May, breaking the previous record set in December 2014 by 17,146 barrels per day, according to preliminary figures from the Oil and Gas Division. Gas production also hit a record in May at more than 2.3 billion cubic feet per day.
“Congratulations to our oil and gas operators and the thousands of people they employ as this new oil production record confirms what we in North Dakota have known for some time: The Bakken is back,” Burgum said. “This milestone is a testament to the tremendous private-sector innovation and investment made by oil and gas operators committed to finding better and more efficient ways of drilling. Amazingly, industry achieved that record production in May with an average of just 62 drilling rigs, or about one-third of the 181 rigs in December 2014. We’re excited to see even more progress on production and gas capture as industry brings online billions of investment in gathering and processing capability, continuing to break new ground and strengthen North Dakota’s position as the nation’s No. 2 oil producer.”