Russians financed U.S. anti-fracking movement, Continental's Hamm says• 6:52 PM

Carl Surran, SA News Editor

• Russians have financed the anti-fracking movement in the U.S., Continental Resources (NYSE:CLR) Chairman and CEO Harold Hamm alleged today at The Forbes Reinvent America Summit.
• "Russia has spent a great deal of money over here to cause a panic in the United States over fracking to stop it, because suddenly their market share is going away," Hamm said.
• The comments amplify an allegation made last year by NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who charged that Russians were funding anti-fracking movements in Europe and in countries of the former Soviet Union.

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CLR price at time of publication: $43.40.

North Dakota crude output falls from record highs • 6:32 PM

Carl Surran, SA News Editor

• North Dakota says production of crude oil from the Bakken Shale fell in January from all-time highs the previous month, slipping 3.3% 1.19M bbl/day from a record 1.23M bbl/day in December, according to a new report from the state's department of mineral resources.
• As prices for Bakken sweet crude fell to a six-year low of an average of $31.41/bbl in January, down from $40.74 December, the number of completions of previously drilled wells fell sharply to 47 from 183 in the prior month.
• The number of active rigs used to drill new wells in North Dakota sank to 111 as of today, the fewest since April 2010 and about half the peak of 218 rigs in May 2012; the state's mineral resources director predicts a bottom 100 rigs, noting that 115 active rigs are needed to maintain stable production.
• Top Bakken producers: CLR, EOG, WLL, HES, XOM, OAS, NOG, EOX, MRO