North Dakota surges past 800,000 bpd

By Luke Johnson & news wires

15 July 2013 19:48 GMT

North Dakota crossed a new oil-production milestone in May, according to preliminary state data, surging past 800,000 barrels per day for the first time despite a slowdown in new drilling due to weather.

Output in the state rose 2% in May, or about 16,277 bpd, to hit a record high of 810,129 bpd, Reuters reported, citing the North Dakota Mineral Resources Department.

The new high came even as record rainfall drenched the state during the month, which affected the number of new wells drilled.

Production in North Dakota has quintupled since 2008 as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have helped opened up the massive Bakken oil shale for widespread development.

The state is now the second largest US oil producer after Texas.

North Dakota now boasts a record 8915 producing wells in North Dakota, the Mineral Resources Department said. Well completions were up by 10 in May to 143.

"That number of completions is above the threshold needed to maintain production so oil production rate rose," Reuters quoted the department as saying.

"Load restrictions have remained in place longer than ever before because May 2013 was the wettest on record."

The department had said in the prior month that rough weather and road restrictions would limit production activity. The state forecasts production of 850,000 bpd by early next year.